Steelers Rookies Are Living Up to the Hype

The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class of 2023 came with a lot of hype, as general manager Omar Khan negotiated his first draft process to very solid reviews this past spring.

Khan maneuvered the Steelers around the draft board, trading up in the first round to land tackle Broderick Jones, and then moving back in the third round while still getting first-round talent tight end Darnell Washington and adding back the pick needed to draft linebacker Nick Herbig.

In between those moves, he landed another potential first-round pick, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., in the second round and added nose tackle Keeanu Benton, as well.

That class that produced so much hype this spring is now producing on the field. Four rookies have started games for the Steelers already. Porter has cemented himself as a starter, Jones doesn’t seem far away and many have been calling for larger roles for Benton and Washington.

But if Jones takes on a starting role, where will it be, at left tackle, where he replaced an injured Dan Moore Jr. earlier in the season, or at right tackle, where he replaced Chuks Okorafor on Thursdsay? Okorafor said he was benched for something he did against Jacksonville, not for his play. But has he rookie done enough to stay in the lineup? And where will he play if so?

Alan Saunders joined Chris Carter on the Locked On Steelers Podcast to discuss that, as well as to hand out stars and skulls grades for the Steelers’ Week 9 win over the Tennesee Titans.

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