2023 NFL Draft Live Updates: Steelers round out draft class on Day 3; big names include Jones, Porter and Herbig

With the No. 251 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers have selected Maryland OL Spencer Anderson.

Anderson, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman, ended his career by starting 31 consecutive games at multiple positions along the offensive line for Maryland.

He allowed just three sacks on 515 pass block snaps during the 2022 season.

With the No. 241 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers have selected defensive back Cory Trice from Purdue.

A large cornerback at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Trice played in 34 games as a Boilermaker, starting 24 of them.

The Hopkinsville, Ky. native recorded five interceptions, 20 pass breakups and 105 tackles during his collegiate career.

With the 132nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers have taken Wisconsin LB Nick Herbig. 

This past season, the off-ball linebacker recorded 47 tackles, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two deflected passes. 

In three years with the Badgers, he has 137 tackles, 21 sacks, four forced fumbles, and seven passes deflected. 

He also is the brother of Nate Herbig, a Steelers off-season signing. 

With the No. 93 overall pick, the Steelers selected Georgia tight end Darnell Washington.

The 6-foot-7, 264-pounder is considered the best blocking tight end in the class this year. He earned second-team All-SEC honors for the Bulldogs last season after starting 14 of 15 games for the back-to-back champions. 

The Steelers have traded down in the third round.

Pittsburgh traded No. 80 to the Carolina Panthers for No. 93 (third round) and No. 132 (fourth round), the team announced. The Panthers used the pick to draft Oregon linebacker DJ Johnson. 

With the No. 49 overall pick, the Steelers selected Wisconsin defensive tackle Keeanu Benton.

Benton tallied 36 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks as a senior last season in 12 starts. The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder earned third-team all-conference honors. 

Joey Porter Jr. joins a cornerback group in need of an influx of youth and talent. The team signed veteran Patrick Peterson during the offseason but lost Cam Sutton to Detroit in free agency.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Porter gives the Steelers a cornerback with size and the skills necessary to play in a defense that thrives on blitzing, frequently forcing the defensive backs to play man to man.

While Porter had just one interception during his 35 career games, he was around the ball frequently. Porter tied a Big Ten record when he had six pass breakups in a victory over Purdue last fall.

"A lot of young guys are going to go to a new city, they got to learn a new way to live, all this stuff," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. "So that's going to (be) less stress to a young guy (like Porter) as he comes in so he can really concentrate more on the football part of it."

Porter won't lack for mentors. The Steelers have one of the best safeties in the game in perennial Pro Bowler Minkah Fitzpatrick. Peterson is a three-time All-Pro who at age 32 will find himself with a protege to work with when organized team activities begin next month.

"(Porter) going to be in an environment that gives him an opportunity to succeed," Austin said.

Porter was projected as a first-round pick but didn't get selected on opening night. Steelers fans at the draft in Kansas City were chanting, "Jo-ey, Jo-ey" when the Steelers were on the clock.

Social media was buzzing after the Steelers selected Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. in the second round.

Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, who also went to PSU, tweeted, "WE AREEEEE!!! Let's go !!!!!"

Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt also loved the pick. 

"Let's go!! !!," he tweeted.

Fellow defensive star Cameron Heyward tweeted a GIF of Joey Porter Jr.'s father during his Steelers days.

Penn State coach James Franklin posted a sentimental message to his former player on social media.

"Congratulations Joey! Run with this opportunity," he tweeted. "We are so proud of you & look forward to watching you DOMINATE with the @steelers! Happy Valley will always be home & we look forward to welcoming you back."

With the first pick of the second round, the Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr.

Porter is the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker Joey Porter, who spent eight seasons in black and gold and won Super Bowl 40 with the team. His father also spent five seasons on the Steelers' coaching staff.

Porter Jr., who graduated from North Allegheny High School, was a first-team Big Ten Conference selection in 2022 after tallying 27 tackles and 11 pass breakups for Penn State. He also took home the team's Most Valuable Defensive Player Award.

Porter Jr. measured in at 6-foot-2, 193 pounds at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash.

The pick was announced by Steelers legend Alan Faneca. 

The Steelers are on the clock for pick No. 32.

The Pittsburgh brain trust will be busy on Friday.

Currently, the Steelers have two picks in Round 2. They have the first pick of the second round, No. 32, and the 49th overall pick.

They also have one third-round pick: No. 80 overall.

Broderick Jones' introductory press conference is over, and now he is officially a Steeler! 

Broderick Jones said he will wear No. 77 with the Steelers to honor a former teammate. 

Jones said he picked the number to honor Devin Willock, a teammate of his at Georgia who was killed in a car crash following the National Championship game in January. Willock was Jones' roommate at Georgia.

"I just wanted to show my respects by taking that number and letting him live through me," Jones told reporters at his introductory press conference. 

Willock was an offensive lineman on Georgia's back-to-back national championship squads.

The fatal crash also took the life of Georgia recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy.

Before his introductory press conference on Friday, first-round pick Broderick Jones had one message for fans: "Let's work."

Broderick Jones arrived in Pittsburgh. 

"Touched down in the Burgh," the Steelers tweeted with a video of Jones on Friday. 

Broderick Jones will be arriving in Pittsburgh today.

The Steelers will introduce him at a press conference set for 4:30 p.m.

The first round of the draft is over, and the Steelers are first up on Friday.

The Steelers have the first pick of the second round, No. 32, and will officially be on the clock at 7 p.m. on Friday. 

Will the Steelers receive trade offers for the pick from teams looking to draft quarterback Will Levis? Or will Pittsburgh make the selection?

The organization has roughly 19 hours to decide.

When Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin took a group of Georgia draft prospects out to dinner a year ago, he asked them who he needed to keep an eye on down the road.

The answer he received was unanimous: massive offensive tackle Broderick Jones.

Tomlin hadn't heard of the 6-foot-5, 310-pound until that point. The seed, however, was planted. Over the course of the last 12 months, it grew alongside what the Steelers saw as Jones' significant potential while he helped the Bulldogs win a second straight national title.

Given an opportunity to grab an offensive lineman capable of protecting second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett's blind side for the next half-decade at least, Tomlin and the Steelers didn't hesitate.

Pittsburgh moved up three spots in the first round of Thursday's NFL draft to select Jones with the 14th overall pick, deciding a player who won't turn 22 until May was worth the modest investment. The Steelers sent the 17th pick and a fourth-rounder (No. 120 overall) to New England to ensure the player they'd been watching for over a year didn't get away.

"When we saw how the draft was going and he was still sitting there, we started making some phone calls to see if we could trade up to get him," first-year general manager Omar Khan said. "I think he's going to be a great Steeler for a long time. Love his athleticism. Love his upside."

Jones will likely have a chance to start immediately at left tackle, where Dan Moore Jr. had started each of the last two seasons. Moore took a step backward last season after a promising rookie year in 2021, when he earned the starting job as a fourth-round pick.

Khan, running Pittsburgh's draft for the first time after being promoted to replace the retiring Kevin Colbert last May, stopped short of penciling in Jones as the starter. For now, anyway.

"Our job is to bring in competition, by the time we get to the opening game, the five best offensive linemen will play," Khan said.

Jones is the first offensive lineman the Steelers have taken in the first round since David DeCastro, the 24th pick in 2012. DeCastro spent nine seasons in Pittsburgh, reaching the Pro Bowl six times and twice being named an All-Pro.

If Jones can come anywhere near that level of excellence, Pittsburgh will have another anchor of a young offense that includes Pickett, third-year running back Najee Harris and second-year wide receiver George Pickens, a teammate of Jones' at Georgia.

The Steelers watched Jones closely throughout the draft process. They spent time with him at the combine in Indianapolis, took him out to dinner before Georgia's pro day and brought him to Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit.

Still, Jones said he had "no indication" the Steelers were going to move aggressively to land him. It wasn't until the phone rang with Pittsburgh's 412 area code that the light went on.

"I rock with coach Mike Tomlin," Jones said. "I feel like he understands me."

Pittsburgh's brain trust was a little vague when it came to whether Jones might play on the left side or the right side.

"They (just) told me I'm a football player," Jones said.

A large and still developing one at that. Jones didn't crack the starting lineup at Georgia until late in the 2021 season. He helped the Bulldogs power their way to a national championship, then started all 15 games in 2022 as Georgia won back-to-back titles.

"He's got a competitor's mentality," Tomlin said. "He's wired right for this line of work. He's got a desire to be great. He's highly competitive. There's a reason he put himself in that environment (at Georgia) ... He's in the winning business. He values that."

So do the Steelers, who shook off a 2-6 start last fall to finish 9-8, the franchise's 19th straight non-losing season. After some initial issues with turnovers, Pickett improved as the year went on. He went 7-5 as a starter while playing behind a line that also seemed to get better during the season.

That didn't stop Pittsburgh from searching for upgrades in free agency. The Steelers signed veteran guards Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig to join a group that includes guard James Daniel and right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor.

Tomlin shrugged off the idea the team was sending a message with its moves, saying only "we're just trying to improve our football team."

Maybe, but most of Pittsburgh's best teams under Tomlin came with an offensive line full of Pro Bowlers. While there's much work to be done for Jones to get there, the player who described himself as "physical, fast and dominant" is eager to get the process started.

"I can't wait to learn the ropes," Jones said. "I can't wait to keep growing."

Broderick Jones will likely have a chance to start immediately at left tackle, where Dan Moore Jr. had started each of the last two seasons. Moore took a step backward in 2022.

Pittsburgh spent a portion of the offseason revamping its offensive line, signing veteran guards Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig in hopes of improving a unit that struggled at times even when healthy.

Now the Steelers add Jones, the first offensive lineman they've taken in the first round since David DeCastro, the 24th pick in 2012.

It's the latest attempt by the Steelers to build an offense around Kenny Pickett, who went 7-5 as a starter last year as a rookie.

While talking to reporters after being selected at No. 14 by the Steelers, Broderick Jones said he had no indication Pittsburgh was going to draft him, but he said he is happy the team did.

He added that he fell in love with the Steelers after a visit this spring.

"Pittsburgh breeds dogs and that's why they picked me," Jones said.  

"Broderick is a great player, a real diaper dandy," coach Mike Tomlin told reporters. 

The Steelers traded up to No. 14 overall in the first round and selected offensive tackle Broderick Jones.

The Steelers traded No. 17 and No. 120 (fourth-round pick) to the New England Patriots to move up to No. 14.

As a redshirt sophomore last season, Jones started all 15 games at left tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was a key piece on an offensive line that helped the team win back-to-back titles. Jones is 6-foot-5, 311 pounds.

CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson said Jones' "upside is through the roof" in his final mock draft. 

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gave the pick a "B+" grade, saying: "He is a long, athletic tackle who will get bigger and stronger on the next level. He can move for a man his size. The Steelers had to upgrade their tackle spot, so this move to get up made sense. Jones might have the most upside of any offensive lineman in this class."

The Carolina Panthers are on the clock!

KDKA-TV's Rich Walsh is reporting the Steelers have their eyes on three positions for their round-one pick.

Walsh said the Steelers will target an offensive tackle, defensive lineman or cornerback. 

KDKA-TV's Rich Walsh will have every Steelers angle covered for the draft. 

He is at the team's facility on the South Side and will have coverage all night.

While you're waiting for the NFL Draft to start, check out CBS Sports' final mock up. Click here for a look!

They have plenty of draft coverage, including a Live Tracker.

Visit their NFL Draft central here for much more.

The draft is the first for Pittsburgh with Omar Khan serving as general manager. Khan, who has been with the team in some capacity since 2001, was promoted to replace Kevin Colbert last May and quickly brought over longtime friend Andy Weidl from Philadelphia after Weidl helped put together a roster that reached the Super Bowl in February.

Khan and Weidl will be busy in their first draft together. The Steelers have three picks inside the top 50.

"It gives us the opportunity to do a lot of different things," Khan said. "We have a lot of scenarios that we've talked about. Everything's on the table right now. It just gives us options. With this draft being as good as it is, we're excited to have it."

The Pittsburgh area produces top-tier NFL talent each year, and 2023 is no different. Here is a look at some names to keep an eye on over the next couple of days.

• Joey Porter Jr. – Cornerback from Penn State
• Ji'Ayir Brown – Safety from Penn State
• Brenton Strange – Tight end from Penn State
  
• Calijah Kancey – Defensive tackle from Pitt
• Israel Abanikanda – Running back from Pitt
• Carter Warren – Offensive tackle from Pitt
• SirVocea Dennis – Linebacker from Pitt
  

Last season, the Steelers made seven picks, including selecting fan favorite and Pitt product Kenny Pickett in the first round. 

Here is a rundown of the team's picks last year:

• Round 1: QB Kenny Pickett
• Round 2: WR George Pickens
• Round 3:DE DeMarvin Leal
• Round 4: WR Calvin Austin III
• Round 6: TE/FB Connor Heyward
• Round 7: LB Mark Robinson
• Round 7: QB Chris Oladokun

Barring any trades, the Steelers have seven selections in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The team's picks are:

• First Round, 17th overall pick
• Second Round, 32nd overall pick (acquired in Chase Claypool trade with Chicago Bears)
• Second Round, 49th overall pick 
• Third round, 80th overall pick 
• Fourth round, 120th overall pick
• Seventh round, 241st overall pick
• Seventh round, 251st overall pick