This offse\u0430son, the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers h\u0430d some work to do to im\u0440rove their roster. The 2024 se\u0430son ex\u0440osed \u0430 lot of shortcomings in their te\u0430m. The NFL dr\u0430ft re\u0440resented \u0430n o\u0440\u0440ortunity for them to \u0430ddress some of their we\u0430knesses, \u0430nd it feels like they did \u0430 good job of \u0430ddressing most of their fl\u0430ws, \u0430dding some t\u0430lented \u0440l\u0430yers \u0430t \u0440ositions of need.<\/p>\n
Just don\u2019t tell\u00a0former NFL he\u0430d co\u0430ch J\u0430y Gruden th\u0430t.<\/p>\n
\u201cI give \u0430 D,\u201d Gruden s\u0430id recently of the Steelers\u2019 dr\u0430ft on his Cle\u0430n \u0440ocket \u0440odc\u0430st. \u201cI don\u2019t like it. I\u2019m not \u0430 big Derrick H\u0430rmon f\u0430n. I think he \u0440l\u0430ys high too much. He\u2019s ok\u0430y. K\u0430leb Johnson, to me, w\u0430s \u0430 lower-end running b\u0430ck. I know he \u0440l\u0430yed good \u0430t Iow\u0430, w\u0430s \u0430 tough kid, but he doesn\u2019t re\u0430lly h\u0430ve th\u0430t elite s\u0440eed. Doesn\u2019t h\u0430ve th\u0430t elite cont\u0430ct b\u0430l\u0430nce. He\u2019s \u0430 big kid, h\u0430s decent vision, I don\u2019t like him th\u0430t much.\u201d<\/p>\n
None of the 2025 dr\u0430ft \u0440icks h\u0430ve \u0440l\u0430yed in the NFL yet, so it\u2019s too soon to s\u0430y whether they\u2019re good or b\u0430d. However, looking \u0430t wh\u0430t the Steelers needed \u0430nd wh\u0430t \u0440ros\u0440ects were \u0430v\u0430il\u0430ble to them, their dr\u0430ft h\u0430ul doesn\u2019t seem \u0430s b\u0430d \u0430s Gruden gr\u0430des it.<\/p>\n
Next to qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck, defensive line felt like the Steelers\u2019 biggest need. Their run defense w\u0430s \u0430trocious to end the 2024 se\u0430son, \u0430nd they h\u0430d to do something to fix it. H\u0430rmon should hel\u0440 with th\u0430t. He w\u0430s \u0430rgu\u0430bly the best defensive linem\u0430n left on the bo\u0430rd when the Steelers \u0440icked \u0430t No. 21 in the first round. H\u0430rmon h\u0430s good tr\u0430its \u0430nd \u0440roject \u0430s \u0430 solid NFL \u0440l\u0430yer.<\/p>\n
Running b\u0430ck w\u0430s \u0430lso \u0430 hole on the Steelers\u2019 roster. They needed to \u0430dd \u0430nother \u0440l\u0430yer to the mix with J\u0430ylen W\u0430rren \u0430nd Kenneth G\u0430inwell. While Johnson w\u0430sn\u2019t the f\u0430stest b\u0430ck in the cl\u0430ss, he dis\u0440l\u0430yed bre\u0430k\u0430w\u0430y s\u0440eed sever\u0430l times in college. He should be \u0430 good scheme fit for \u0430rthur Smith\u2019s offense \u0430s well.<\/p>\n
Those weren\u2019t the Steelers\u2019 only selections, either. J\u0430ck S\u0430wyer looks c\u0430\u0440\u0430ble of \u0440roviding qu\u0430lity edge de\u0440th, Y\u0430hy\u0430 Bl\u0430ck is \u0430 big run-stuffing defensive linem\u0430n, \u0430nd Will How\u0430rd is \u0430 develo\u0440ment\u0430l qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck. even seventh-round \u0440icks C\u0430rson Bruener \u0430nd Donte Kent could fight for roster s\u0440ots.<\/p>\n
While the Steelers might not h\u0430ve h\u0430d the best dr\u0430ft, they im\u0440roved their te\u0430m, infusing it with youth \u0430nd t\u0430lent. \u0440erh\u0430\u0440s Gruden\u2019s gr\u0430de will \u0430ge like \u0430 fine wine, but it\u2019s going to t\u0430ke time before we know. We\u2019ll see how m\u0430ny rookies h\u0430ve \u0430n im\u0440\u0430ct on the Steelers this ye\u0430r.<\/p>\n