Steelers Currently Have No. 1 Overall Pick in 2023 NFL Draft

If the season ended now, the Pittsburgh Steelers would have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That’s just how bad things have been for the Steelers in 2022, and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles on the horizon, they could be 1-7 heading into the bye week. The last time the Steelers started a season 1-7 was 1969. They also haven’t had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft since 1970, when they selected Terry Bradshaw.

Other teams in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick are the Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders, all of whom have just one win this season. The Raiders play the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night.

Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. could be an option for the Steelers if they have the first overall pick in 2023. Imagine Anderson paired with T.J. Watt? C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Bryce Young of Alabama are the top quarterback prospects, but with the Steelers selecting Kenny Pickett at 20th overall in 2022, it’s unlikely they would go quarterback. Defensive tackles Jalen Carter of Georgia and Bryan Bresee of Clemson could also be options, as the Steelers have struggled to defend the run and are aging upfront.

Heading into Sunday’s game, the Steelers had a 14.2% chance to earn the No. 1 overall pick, a 54.9% chance to earn a top-five pick and a 80.4% chance to earn a top-10 pick, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Steelers have had just four top-10 draft picks — Terry Bradshaw (1970), Frank Lewis (1971), Tim Worley (1989) and Plaxico Burress (2000). Bradshaw was the last top-5 pick. The Steelers traded up to 10th overall to select Devin Bush in 2019.