It took 7 picks, 3 days 2 trades but the Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Draft Class is now complete.
For the record, the Steelers made 5 defensive picks and two offensive picks, but reading between the lines, it is more likely the case that they made 3 defensive picks, 2 offensive picks, and two special teams picks.
Via Steelers.com
As always, Steel Curtain Rising will ignore the rush to affix a grade to the Steelers 2025 Draft Class, although we’ve already learned something important:
- Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin are playing the long game.
We’ll get into that in a moment, but first, let’s take a look at the newest members of the Pittsburgh Steelers
First Round: Derrick Harmon, Defensive Tackle, Oregon
Third Round: Kaleb Johnson, Running Back, Iowa
Fourth Round: Jack Sawyer, Outside Linebacker, Ohio State
Fifth Round: Yaha Black, Defensive Tackle, Iowa
Sixth Round: Will Howard, Quarterback, Ohio State
Seventh Round: Carson Bruener, Inside Linebacker, Washington
Seventh Round: Donte Kent, Cornerback/Punt Returner, Central Michigan
As Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin have been quick to point out, although he’s not a member of the Steelers 2025 Draft Class strictly speaking, D.K. Metcalf came to Pittsburgh by way of their 2nd round pick. And he certainly figures to make an immediate impact.
What the Steelers 2025 Draft Class Already Teaches Us
Same day draft grades are about as relevant as opening day batting averages. It will take years before we really how much value, or lack thereof this draft will deliver to the Steelers. (Case in point the Steelers 2016 and 1989 Draft classes both looked very good in January 2017 and 1989, but after that, not so much).
But there are a few lessons we can already take aways:
1. Khan and Tomlin Tune Out the Noise
Having been spurned by Justin Fields and having spurned Russell Wilson while waiting on Aaron Rodgers, quarterback was the Steelers biggest need heading into the draft.
But, reports to the contrary from both the national and local press, it is clear that the Steelers never considered addressing it in the first round.
Nor were they in a hurry to do so afterwards. Armed with a potential 4 compensatory picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, Khan could have dealt away a couple-of-three 4th, 3rd and 2nd round picks from next year to move up into the second round or earlier in the third round to get a quarterback. Not only did he not do that, but the Steelers waited until the 6th round to get their signal caller.
You don’t wait to draft a quarterback until the 6th round if you plan on playing him in the coming season. Both Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II indicated they still expect Aaron Rodgers to sign, but the Steelers are perfectly content to address their long-term need at quarterback in 2026.
Meanwhile, they focused on adding value while preserving draft capital – the only trade the Khan artist made was to move back in the 5th get an extra 7th.
2. The Ridiculing from the Ravens Still Stings
While the Steelers are playing the long game, that doesn’t mean they’re being short-sighted. They drafted three players whose pedigree as run defenders is strong. Derrick Henry reduced the Steelers defense to road kill, and the Steelers brain trust has not reacted that sitting down.
This goes hand-in-hand with playing the long game.
With T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, outside linebacker was anything but a Steelers draft need in 2025. Yet Kahn and Tomlin scooped up Jack Sawyer, an outside linebacker from Ohio State.
Sawyer’s specialty? Stopping the run. And if you’re questioning whether he can do that from so far down in the depth chart, keep in mind that Preston Smith played in 30% of the Steelers defensive snaps last season.
Its doubtful that the rookie will match that, but it does show that OLB No. 4 does have a role in this defense.
3. Art Rooney Sr.’s Wisdom Remains as Valid as Ever
After the 2008 NFL Draft, Gene Coillier wrote a piece grading the Steelers 2003 Draft class, harking back to Chuck Noll’s credo that it took 5 years to grade a draft. In it he quoted Art Rooney Sr., who’d told him, “Everyone’s a winner on draft day.”
- The Steelers were wise to beef up their run defense in this draft.
- Harmon, Sawyer and Black should strengthen the front seven
- Collectively, making an immediate difference is plausible
But as Steelers rival Bum Philips would remind us, “It ain’t bragging if you can do it, but just saying it don’t make it so.” You can address all of the potential problems you want to in the draft, but the players must deliver on the field.
Think back to where the Steelers were ten years ago. Turnovers had been in short supply in the Steelers 2014 season and really, since Super Bowl XLV. So the Steelers 2015 Draft Class saw them add Senquez Golson, Doran Grant and Gerod Holliman. The trio brought a collective total of 39 collegiate interceptions to Pittsburgh, with 29 of those coming in their final year in college.
- Those college numbers impress.
- These professional numbers depress: 3, 1 and 17
That’s 3 NFL games, 1 defensive snap and 17 special teams snaps, which make up the trios’ combined NFL stat line. All of these came from Doran Grant, as Holliman got cut in camp, while Senquez Golson saw his NFL career destroyed by injuries before it ever started.
The story of the Steelers 2015 draft class isn’t intended as buzz kill, but rather as a reminder that the watch word coming out of the draft should be patience.
Hopes are high now – as they should be – but more often than not, it takes time to realize those. Troy Polamalu looked lost his rookie year, by 2004 he was flashing Hall of Fame potential. Going into his third season, more than a few fans were ready to hang the “B” word around Cam Heyward’s neck; well, we know how that turned out.
The point is, if by the time the leaves are changing color and Halloween decorations are going up and Derrick Harmon isn’t dominating or Kaleb Johnson isn’t looking his name should be Franco Bettis, don’t panic.
4. Everyone IS a winner on draft day, and that’s good.
Art Rooney Sr. was right – everyone IS a winner on draft day, and that’s a good thing. The NFL draft is about hope. Hope for franchises. Hope for the scouts and coaches. Hope for the fans.
- And most importantly, hope for the players.
Last week Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin made a dream come true for 7 young men, giving them something they’ve aspired to since they first put their hands on a Nerf football and barked out a bogus snap count as kids.
The moment is theirs – for Derrick Harmon it certainly is bittersweet – but as a draft class I hope they enjoy it.
