Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 NFL Draft Needs

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in NFL history.

Along with the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh has the most Super Bowl wins (6) out of any team in the league.

However, in recent years, the Steelers have not seen any playoff success.

Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since 2016.

This has forced the Steelers to do something they typically do not do.

Pittsburgh was very active in free agency.

They signed Russell Wilson and traded for Justin Fields, to bring in a brand new QB room.

Kenny Pickett was traded to the Eagles.

Arthur Smith is the new Offensive Coordinator for the Steelers after Matt Canada was fired midway through the 2023 season.

These are all moves in an attempt to improve an offense that has been allergic to scoring points for the last few years.

Some other key moves were signing LB Patrick Queen, Safety DeShon Elliott, trading WR Diontae Johnson, and signing WR Van Jefferson.

Despite these moves, the Steelers are still not in a position to compete for a Super Bowl against some of the heavyweights in the AFC.

The 2024 NFL Draft is going to be big for the Steelers.

Last year, they seemed to have hit on tackle Broderick Jones, CB Joey Porter Jr, and NT Keeanu Benton.

All three players were immediate impact starters and the future looks bright for all three players.

Pittsburgh has the 20th pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Below, we will discuss the needs the Steelers have to address in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 NFL Draft Needs

Despite hitting on their 2023 NFL Draft and being very active in free agency, the Steelers still need to fill a lot of weaknesses.

The Steelers have the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

1. Offensive Line

Broderick Jones was a very good first-round selection last year and he got better as the season went on.

Jones played mostly right tackle last year but it would be wise for the Steelers to shift him to left tackle in 2024.

Pittsburgh’s left and right guards, Isaac Seumato and James Daniels had good a year last season and are good run blockers.

Two positions need improvement on the offensive line.

Pittsburgh needs another tackle and they need a new Center.

Mason Cole started at Center last year but was released in the offseason after a rough 2023 campaign.

The biggest need on the offensive line is the center position.

Similar to their struggle to find a QB after Ben Roethlisberger retired, Pittsburgh has been unable to find a Center after Maurkice Pouncey retired.

Pittsburgh’s problem was they never tried to find replacements as their star offensive players were aging.

At 20, the Steelers are in a position to draft Center Jackson Power-Johnson from Oregon.

Power-Johnson is the best Center in the draft and would help bolster the offensive line.

Taking Power-Johnson makes a lot of sense for the Steelers at pick 20 in the first round.

2. Wide Receiver

Another move the Steelers made in the offseason was trading WR Diontae Johnson.

This move leaves Pittsburgh a bit thin at WR after George Pickens.

Van Jefferson was brought in but has not proven to be a capable number two WR.

Pickens has the talent to be a WR1 but will need to mature and be more consistent.

The Steelers need to start treating him like a WR1 and target him more often.

If the Steelers select Power-Johnson at pick 20, the Steelers need to select a WR in round two.

Pittsburgh has proven time and time again that they can find WR gems in round two or later.

Despite signing Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields, the Steelers still have the weakest QB in the AFC North.

They will need all the help they can get and adding a WR in round one or two is needed.

Pittsburgh should take Power-Johnson in round one and then their highest-graded WR on the board in round two.

If the Steelers are high on a WR still available, trading up to get him in round two would be wise as well.

Going Center and then WR will upgrade an offense that needs to improve in 2024 significantly.

3. Defensive Line

Currently, the Steelers’ defensive line looks good on paper.

They have Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and Larry Ogunjobi listed as the starters.

Benton was drafted in the second round last year and was good in the middle of the defensive line.

Heyward is a staple for the Steelers and one of the best leaders in the NFL.

He won the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

The Steelers could find themselves in the same position as they are in the QB and Center position.

If they wait too long to find a defensive end as Heyward ages, this position could be a severe weakness.

Heyward still played well last year but his play will take a drop sooner than later.

Addressing the defensive end position should be a priority for the Steelers in this draft.

Pittsburgh has four picks in the top 100 in the 2024 NFL Draft.

As of now, they have the 20th, 51st, 84th, and 98th pick in the draft.

The offensive line and WR should be a top priority in that order but taking a defensive lineman with one of their top four draft picks should also be a priority.

If the Steelers do not address the defensive line, this could become a major issue for the team.

4. Cornerback

In the Diontae Johnson trade, the Steelers received CB Donte Jackson in return.

Jackson tore his Achilles in November 2022 and was not completely healthy last year.

While Jackson does not completely solve the need for a second CB to pair with Joey Porter Jr, he allows the Steelers to concentrate on filling other position needs first.

Still, the Steelers would be wise to look at a corner for added depth in rounds three or four.

Pittsburgh’s secondary is led by star Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and second-year CB JPJ.

Their pass defense was average last year, ranking 16th in passing yards allowed per game.

The secondary gets a lot of help from the pass rush.

TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith do not allow a QB to have a ton of time to throw, which helps the secondary be more aggressive.

Taking a corner in the third or fourth round will help their secondary with added depth.

5. Safety

Minkah Fitzpatrick is a star safety in the league.

Pittsburgh signed DeShon Elliott to start alongside Fitzpatrick.

Despite signing Elliott, the safety position should be a target later in the draft.

Adding depth to the position is needed.

It is not a position to target in the top 100 as the Steelers have a lot of other pressing needs but should be addressed later in the draft.