Steelers draft picks, grades: 1 thing Pittsburgh didn’t do and the 1 thing it definitely got right

Good things come to those who wait. In some ways, that was the story of the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ 2025 draft. On more than one occasion during the three-day event, a player who was on Pittsburgh’s radar was there for the taking when the Steelers were on the clock. 

While they had considered trading back in the first round, they stayed put when it became apparent that drafting Oregon’s Derrick Harmon with the 21st pick might be a possibility. That is ultimately what happened, as the Steelers were able to fill their biggest pre-draft need (defensive line) with one of the draft’s top-ranked defensive lineman prospects. 

History seemed to repeat itself throughout Pittsburgh’s draft. In the third round, the Steelers filled another key nee when they drafted Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, who was expected to go off the board sooner than the 83rd overall pick. On Day 3, the Steelers drafted two members of Ohio State’s national title team — pass rusher Jack Sawyer and quarterback Will Howard — who were ranked higher than where they were ultimately drafted. Day 3 also included three other value selections at positions that needed some depth. 

Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 NFL Draft class

NOTE: Grades handed out by by Pete Prisco (Round 1), Chris Trapasso (Rounds 2-5) and Josh Edwards (Rounds 6-7)

By seemingly all accounts (including this one), the Steelers had a successful draft, although there was one glaring thing they didn’t do. Here’s what that one thing was, along with the one thing the Steelers definitely got right. 

The biggest thing the Steelers didn’t do 

Pittsburgh’s receiving corps is virtually the same as it was prior to the draft. The Steelers did not draft a receiver, and they decided not to trade George Pickens despite several reports stating that they at least considered it. 

It’s not the end of the world, but Pittsburgh’s decision not to improve its receiving corps creates some uncertainty, especially when it comes to Pickens, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal. How will Pickens respond to the trade rumors? Is he willing to play on an expiring contract? Will his maturity issues continue to overshadow his immense potential? The answers to these questions may help determine the fate of the 2025 Steelers. 

If Pickens plays up to his potential, the Steelers have a solid receiving corps, led by Pickens and recently-acquired, two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf. The duo of Pickens and Metcalf has the potential to be one of the NFL’s best, which is one of the reasons why Pittsburgh gave Seattle a second-round pick to acquire him. Metcalf should help open things up for Pickens, and vice versa, which could create a partnership similar to the one in Philadelphia between wideouts AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. 

Beyond Pickens and Metcalf, the Steelers have a solid No. 3 in Calvin Austin III, who caught 36 passes for 548 yards and four scores last season. Pittsburgh doesn’t have much depth beyond that, though, which is what makes its decision not to draft a wideout somewhat concerning. 

The Steelers are clearly banking on Roman Wilson to step up this year after an injury (that was sustained during training camp) wiped out his entire rookie season. Pittsburgh’s other backup receivers include Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek, who caught a combined 10 passes last year. The Steelers also reportedly agreed to terms with former 1,000-yard receiver Robert Woods on Monday. In addition to adding depth, the Steelers are getting a consummate pro in the 33-year-old Woods, whose addition to the locker room should be a positive. 

Expect the Steelers to make some moves regarding their receiving corps. Pittsburgh did sign undrafted rookie wideouts Ke’Shawn Williams and Roc Taylor. The 5-foot-9, 188-pound Williams spent four years at Wake Forest before catching a career-high five touchdowns last year during his lone season at Indiana. Taylor, a big target at 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, caught 135 passes for 2,033 yards and six touchdowns during his last two years at Memphis. 

2025 NFL Draft: Steelers select Ohio State QB Will Howard in Round 6 as Aaron Rodgers remains undecided

Jordan Dajani

What the Steelers definitely got right 

While the Steelers have moved on from 2024, what transpired at the end of last season undoubtedly led to what unfolded during the draft. 

After a 10-3 start, Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl aspirations came crashing down during the season’s final month, as the team lost four consecutive games before it suffered a 28-14 beatdown at the hands of rival Baltimore in the wild-card round. Adding insult to injury was the Ravens‘ 299 yards on the ground, the most rushing yards ever permitted by a Steelers team in a postseason game. 

If it already wasn’t clear before that, that game reinforced the three biggest things the Steelers needed to do in the offseason: Reinvest in the defensive line, add depth to several positions and restore the physicality that had been the trademark of Steelers football basically since Art Rooney founded the team 92 years ago. 

The Steelers started to make the necessary changes during free agency, when they traded to acquire Metcalf, one of the NFL’s most physical receivers, along with signing six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, fellow veteran defensive backs Brandin Echols and Juan Thornhill and veteran linebacker Malik Harrison. 

During the draft, the Steelers selected two defensive linemen, two linebackers, a cornerback and a 6-foot-1, 224-pound bruiser of a running back in Johnson, who also has big-play ability after totaling nine touchdown runs of at least 25 yards during his final season at Iowa. 

“It goes beyond the defensive front,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after the draft. “We wanted to re-tool physicality in all areas, included in that discussion is the use of the second-round pick to acquire DK Metcalf. Although he’s a receiver, I think he fits the bill in terms of physicality and size. That definitely was an agenda of ours this weekend.”

From a depth perspective, the Steelers clearly wanted to add more talent at pass rusher for more reasons than one. As Tomlin likes to say, “You can’t have enough rush men,” especially in today’s pass-happy NFL. More than that, though, the Steelers likely want to have more of a rotation at that position in order to keep starters T.J. Watt (who had just two sacks during the final five games of the 2024 season) and Alex Highsmith fresh for the stretch run. Pittsburgh can certainly do that now with Sawyer and third-year linebacker Nick Herbig, who filled the stat sheet last year with 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries despite playing in just 13 games (and getting five starts). 

Steelers DNA was something that was mentioned several times by both Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan after the draft. In addition to adding depth and physicality to the roster during the draft, the Steelers also feel that they acquired players who epitomize what it means to be a Steeler. 

When asked, Khan couldn’t put into words what it means to have Steelers DNA. Fortunately for him, Sawyer, the pass rusher from Columbus who was one of the key players during Ohio State’s national championship run, perfectly summed it up while discussing his mentality on the football field. 

“I just try to play the game as physical and as tough as I possibly can,” Sawyer said. “Setting an edge and playing the run is all about manhood on manhood, and for me that’s kind of who I am as a guy, as a man. And I love the storied defenses we’ve had throughout Pittsburgh and the toughness they play with, and I can’t wait to become a part of that.”