The Pittsburgh Steelers have 7 picks in the NFL Draft. Here's what to know.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The 2024 NFL Draft is underway in Detroit, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy.
The first round kicked off on Thursday in front of hundreds of thousands of fans at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit.
Rounds 2 and 3 resumed on Friday, and Rounds 4-7 will take place on Saturday starting at noon.
There are numerous ways to watch the draft this year and not miss a single Steelers pick. ESPN, ABC, and the NFL Network will all be broadcasting live from Detroit.
Who have the Steelers drafted so far?
The Steelers have a total of seven picks in this year's draft. The team does not have any picks in the fifth or seventh rounds, as those selections were dealt away in the Kevin Dotson trade to Los Angeles and the Diontae Johnson trade to Carolina, respectively.
- 1st round - 20th overall pick: Troy Fautanu, OL from Washington
- 2nd round - 51st overall pick: Zach Frazier, OL from West Virginia
- 3rd round - 84th overall pick: Roman Wilson, WR from Michigan
- 3rd round - 98th overall pick: Payton Wilson, LB from NC State
- 4th round - 119th overall pick: Mason McCormick, OL from South Dakota State
- 6th round - 178th overall pick: Logan Lee, DL from Iowa
- 6th round - 195th overall pick: Ryan Watts, DB from Texas
"Finding Steelers is an all-encompassing task."
Heading into the busy weekend, Steelers general manager and head coach Mike Tomlin spoke at length about the process of preparing for the draft, their excitement, and different routes the team could go when it becomes their turn to pick tonight.
"Finding Steelers is an "all-encompassing" task," Khan said. "It's the tape, it's getting to know the person, it's doing the homework on them, talking to people that have been around them, but it's a diligent process."
"I'm just appreciative of the work that the scouts and the personnel department does for us over the course of a 12-month calendar," Tomlin said. "I'm also excited about our draft because of the quality work that we've been able to get done in free agency."
When asked about the possibility of trading down in the first round of the draft, Khan said that "you never trade away from a good player," but also added that if a scenario makes sense for both sides, you have to look at it. "
In addition to discussing the draft itself, Khan said that the team will be having 'serious conversations' on fifth-year options for players like Najee Harris and Justin Fields after the draft.
Recapping the Steelers' busy offseason
It's been a busy offseason for Steelers general manager Omar Khan. From the free agent market to making trades, the team is headed into the draft and the 2024 season with a revamped roster following a flurry of activity.
Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson signed with the Steelers after being released by the Broncos and linebacker Patrick Queen switched sides in the battle of the AFC North, moving on from the Ravens and signing here in Pittsburgh.
Wilson's coming to Pittsburgh wasn't the only change in the quarterbacks room for the Steelers, however, as the team traded Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia, acquired Justin Fields in a trade with Chicago, and Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph left via free agency.
The Steelers also traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.
Do the Steelers still have a chance to host the 2026 NFL Draft?
With next year's draft already set to be hosted by the Green Bay Packers, the city of Pittsburgh and the Steelers are hopeful that they'll be picked to host either the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft.
Earlier this year, the Steelers officially submitted their bid to host the draft.
The financial side of hosting the draft events would be significant, with around 300,000 to 400,000 people likely to be in the city over the weekend and an economic impact of around $130 million.
Governor Shapiro has backed the Steelers and the city's efforts to become a host for the event, saying that "Pittsburgh is the best choice in the country to host the NFL Draft."
If Pittsburgh were to be selected to host the draft, the plan would be for the events to be held on the North Shore near Acrisure Stadium and Stage AE.
The league is expected to announce the location for the 2026 Draft after the owners meet in May.
What players from Pitt, WVU, and Penn State could get drafted early?
Among the local teams to the Pittsburgh area, Penn State will have the most players drafted, including a possibility of multiple first-round picks. Offensive lineman Olu Fashanu and defensive end Chop Robinson were drafted in the first round by the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, respectively.
Penn Hills graduate Daequan Hardy is expected to be a late-round pick if he is drafted.
WVU center Zach Frazier was drafted by the Steelers in the second round on Friday.
When it comes to Pitt players, no Panthers are near the top of the draft boards, but offensive lineman Matt Goncalves was selected in the third round by the Indianapolis Colts. Pitt's Bub Means and Aliquippa native MJ Devonshire are likely to be late-round picks.
Last year's picks
The 2023 draft was a fruitful one for the Pittsburgh Steelers with the team's first five picks all playing key roles on the team last season.
Offensive tackle Broderick Jones was selected with the 14th overall pick last year out of Georgia and made his first career start in Week 5 against the Ravens, playing in 11 games for the Steelers in his rookie campaign.
With the first pick in the second round of last year's draft, the team went with a familiar family name, drafting cornerback Joey Porter, Jr. out of Penn State and made the PWFA All-Rookie team after starting in 11 games.
The Steelers got key contributions from other draft picks in defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, tight end Darnell Washington, and linebacker Nick Herbig.
Defensive back Cory Trice Jr. has yet to make his NFL debut after being placed on injured reserve last year and offensive lineman Spencer Anderson saw minimal playing time.
Drafting a Dynasty
The KDKA-TV Sports team dove into the 1974 Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and how it started one of the greatest dynasties in pro sports.
