Purchase or Promote: Each 2025 Steelers draft choose will make the 53-man roster
Rationalization: The Steelers have rostered each draft choose in every of the previous two seasons, which was beforehand uncommon for them. Actually, they solely not too long ago parted with their first draft choose beneath Omar Khan, and that was as a result of harm. This 12 months, at the very least a lot of the class has an important likelihood of constructing the crew, maybe by intention. Groups prefer to give attention to gamers and positions who’ve a shot on the roster within the later rounds, nevertheless it works out higher in some years than in others.
Purchase:
I don’t suppose it’s a coincidence that the Steelers retained all of their draft picks up to now two years since Omar Khan took over as basic supervisor. I believe Khan and Mike Tomlin place a better precedence on roster odds within the late rounds. It additionally helps to not have so many late-round picks, too.
Of the Steelers’ present draft class, I believe there aren’t any doubts about their first 5 picks. The place you begin entering into the weeds is with their two seventh-round picks, however they drafted gamers particularly who could make their roster. Particular groups coordinator Danny Smith mentioned each ILB Carson Bruener and CB Donte Kent had been very excessive on his record. And as with so many different issues, particular groups is the gateway to a job for younger gamers.
Promote:
The Steelers’ latest streak of rookie draft choose retention has partly to do with, really, unhealthy luck. Final 12 months, for instance, sixth-round picks Logan Lee and Ryan Watts spent the 12 months on IR, not the 53-man roster. That’s a little bit of dishonest, by way of stashing growing rookies not able to contribute.
Whereas Bruener may need household ties, he’s in a crowded room. The Steelers have already got Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison, Cole Holcomb, and Mark Robinson there from final season. And so they added Jack Sawyer at exterior linebacker, which might crowd his numbers sport. For Kent, the Steelers have already got Beanie Bishop Jr. and Brandin Echols within the slot. He must actually stand out on particular groups, and he solely has three preseason video games to do it.
The Steelers are constructing towards the 2025 season, following yet one more disappointing 12 months. Whereas they reached the playoffs, they as soon as once more misplaced authoritatively within the first spherical. They’re going through questions, each publicly, and maybe privately as properly. Questions about The Standard, and what the Steelers stand for.
The rookie class of a 12 months in the past was profitable, however they should step up into staple starters in 2025. And so they want everybody wholesome to do it, not an insignificant consideration. They wanted a powerful inflow of expertise in each free company and in the 2025 NFL draft but once more.
These types of uncertainties are what we are going to handle in our Purchase or Promote collection. In every installment, we are going to introduce a subject assertion and weigh a number of the arguments for both shopping for it (that means that you simply agree with it or count on it to be true) or promoting it (that means you disagree with it or count on it to be false).
***Clearly, accidents and different issues can change the variables. The Steelers don’t need to hold each rookie on the 53-man roster to “hold” him. That is one other manner of claiming the Steelers won’t waive any of their rookies as a result of efficiency or positional numbers.
