With another win, the Pittsburgh Steelers slid further down the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, but the draft pick news isn’t all bad for the Black and Gold.
After winning back-to-back games for the first time this season, the Steelers are now slotted to have the 14th choice in the first round of next spring’s NFL Draft, moving two spots back from last week. At the moment, they would go after Houston — who has Cleveland’s first-round pick — and before Detroit.
There’s a fair argument that seeing improvements from Kenny Pickett and company is more important than adding talent at the top of the draft. With the road right ahead, it’s possible that the Steelers don’t climb much higher in the sequence.
The back half of the Steelers’ schedule has been less treacherous than the front, which included meetings with Buffalo and Philadelphia. The remainder of the Steelers’ schedule consists of two games with Baltimore — who isn’t sure how long it will be without quarterback Lamar Jackson — Carolina (4-8), Las Vegas (5-7), and Cleveland (5-7). Pittsburgh is a slight favorite this week against the Ravens and it’s likely that the odds for those games will be pick’ems.
The good draft news for the Steelers is that for the sixth game in a row, Justin Fields and Chicago lost once again against Green Bay on Sunday. The Bears currently own the second overall selection, which bodes well for the Steelers. Pittsburgh acquired Chicago’s second-round pick, which figures to be early on Day Two, in the Chase Claypool trade.
Since joining the Bears, Claypool’s impact hasn’t particularly justified that sort of compensation. The former second-round pick has pulled in 12 receptions for 111 yards and no touchdowns in five games.
Because the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick in this draft, the Bears’ choice is currently the No. 33 overall selection. If the season ended today, the Steelers would have picks 14, 33 and 45 in the top 50.