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Through three rounds of the draft, the Steelers have come away with an influx of tremendous talent.

We’re now through three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, and perhaps the best word to describe what’s transpired thus far is “surprising.”

Plenty of twists and turns have caused highly touted prospects to fall tremendously far down the draft board. Among the teams that have benefitted the most from these slides are our beloved Steelers. General manager Omar Khan has done a spectacular job of addressing Pittsburgh’s core roster needs while scooping plenty of value along the way.

Together, let’s delve into why the Steelers are the biggest winners of all two days through the draft.

Why the Steelers are the biggest winners

Shoring up the offensive line

The Steelers’ offensive line has been the most glaring on-field issue for the past few seasons and consistently greatly impacted the team’s overall lack of success.

Khan’s number one priority entering Thursday evening was ensuring that newly acquired quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields wouldn’t spend too much time face-up on the grass this season, and he delivered with gusto.

Pittsburgh was able to land a quality lineman in Troy Fautanu from Washington at pick No. 20, a player that Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN viewed as a top-12 player per the NFL Expert Consensus Board constructed by The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher. Many fans had hoped Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims, eventually selected at pick No. 18 by the Bengals, would be available to the Steelers, though landing the former Huskie is not a terrible consolation prize whatsoever.

Fautanu has been described as a very versatile player who could interchangeably play at either guard or tackle at the professional level with a great deal of athleticism for his size. While this pick doesn’t clearly dictate whether Broderick Jones will stick at left tackle or not, the addition of Fautanu enables head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to be flexible with how they flesh out the line.

Get to know more about Fautanu in our post-draft profile here at BTSC.

The team followed up this move by taking West Virginia center Zach Fraizer in the second round at 51st overall. Not only does Frazier fill an immediate hole at center, but waiting until Day 2 to pick him up allowed Pittsburgh to only lock themselves into a $7.3 million rookie contract per Spotrac.

By spending the first on Fautanu, giving him the fifth-year option at a premium position, and saving the additional $7.7 million that the pick No. 20 slot is worth, Khan was able to fortify the front lines of the offense on a bargain now and moving forward. That’s about as good as any fan could’ve possibly asked for.

Scooping value

The record-breaking 14 consecutive offensive players coming off the board, including the shocking selection of Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. of Washington by the Falcons at eighth overall, set the wheels in motion for a precipitous run of incredible value picks for multiple teams on Day 2 of the draft.

While teams like the Eagles deserve a lot of credit for plucking two of the brightest defensive back stars in Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean across the first two rounds, no team seized the day quite like Pittsburgh when they selected N.C. State linebacker Payton Wilson with the third-to-last pick of the third round at 98th overall.

As fellow BTSC contributor Jarrett Bailey points out, medical concerns surrounding the coverage savant are likely why Wilson fell so far down the board. He sustained a season-ending shoulder injury as a junior in 2021 and reportedly has no ACL in one of his knees. Still, Wilson won college football’s Butkus Award and Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker and defensive player, respectively, en route to being named a Unanimous All-American this past season in Raleigh.

Between his ability to overcome not possessing a core ligament in the human body and the accolades he achieved as an amateur player, it’s hard not to be in awe of the Steelers’ collection of talent of his caliber at the end of Day 2.

A similar type of steal occurred a touch earlier in Round 3 when Pittsburgh announced the name of Michigan wideout Roman Wilson as the 84th overall pick. The shifty pass-catcher is someone I highlighted as a dream grab for this offense following the trade of veteran Diontae Johnson to the Panthers.

If you don’t take my call seriously, just take PFF’s word. On Friday, the company named Wilson one of the trio of ‘elite’ Round 3 picks. The former Wolverine is also ranked as the 46th overall player on Mosher’s NFL Expert Consensus Big Board.

Oh, and did I mention that both the offensive and defensive Wilsons rank within the top 55 on this board, and both fell to Pittsburgh well beyond their prospective values? Khan and company were able to successfully solidify the offensive line while simultaneously deepening the overall star power away from the trenches. Time will tell if these players ultimately pan out, but as far as sticking to executing a plan goes, the Steelers couldn’t have done any better with this draft even if they tried.

Looking ahead to Day 3

Snapping back to reality momentarily, Tomlin’s crew still has a long way to go.

The Steelers still need help at the cornerback position, which has been highlighted as one of the team’s highest-priority targets entering the festivities in Detroit. It also wouldn’t hurt to see the black and yellow bring in some younger players on the interior defensive line and build up their run-stopping capabilities.

Again, the journey is far from over.

Even so, Khan has orchestrated a symphony for the ages to open the draft. Pittsburgh currently has three more picks (119th overall in Round 4 and two additional sixth-round choices) and will look to capitalize on their successes and end this weekend with a delightful coda. There is no doubt that the current state of the Steel City franchise is in far better circumstances than it was on Thursday.

How do you think the Steelers did through Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft? Join the Behind The Steel Curtain community and let us know in the comments!

The Steelers still have interest in the star receiver

The Pittsburgh Steelers may not be done making moves at the wide receiver position.

Pittsburgh selected Michigan wideout Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but are still interested in Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

A source tells me that both the Steelers and Los Angeles Rams reached out to Denver both before and during the NFL Draft, inquiring about the availability of Sutton. The Broncos would prefer to keep Sutton, as Sean Payton believes that he and new quarterback Bo Nix could be his new version of Drew Brees and Michael Thomas.

Sutton is seeking a new contract, as he only has $2 million in guaranteed money remaining on his current deal. The star receiver also has a great relationship with Russell Wilson and is coming off a career-high 10 touchdown receptions last season in which Wilson was his quarterback. With three picks remaining in the draft, Pittsburgh could look to send at least one of them in exchange for the former Pro Bowl wideout and solidify the position going into 2024.

Filling in the Cracks Edition

Round 4, Pick 119.

Round 6, Pick 178.

Round 6, Pick 195.

Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan met with the former Steeler

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a somewhat glaring need at nickel cornerback, and they could be looking into bringing back a former mainstay on their defense.

According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan met with former Steelers and Lions cornerback, Cam Sutton.

The Steelers drafted Sutton in the third round in 2017, spending six seasons in Pittsburgh before signing with the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2023 season.

The Lions released Sutton after an arrest warrant was issued to him for domestic battery by strangulation. Sutton turned himself into police in Tampa, Florida on March 31st. He was released on April 1st.

Sutton would fill a need for the Steelers, as he could be plugged into the nickel spot. While details on the entire situation are unknown, Khan and Tomlin felt well enough about Sutton to meet with him. We’ll wait and see if anything comes from the meeting, and if the Steelers bring Sutton back.

Following a one-season stop in Detroit, Cameron Sutton could be eyeing a return to Pittsburgh. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan met with the cornerback last week, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

[RELATED: CB Cameron Sutton Taken Into Custody]

After inking a three-year, $33MM deal with the Lions last offseason, Sutton was released by the team after facing charges of domestic battery by strangulation. Nearly three weeks after an arrest warrant was issued, Sutton turned himself in to police in late March.

The cornerback will surely face punishment from the NFL, and there were questions surrounding his future in the NFL. It sounds like Sutton could have at least one potential suitor in his former team, although there’s a good chance the Steelers let the legal process play out before they make a move.

The former third-round pick spent the first six seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, starting 39 of his 84 appearances. After spending the first chunk of his career as a backup, Sutton emerged as a starter during his final two years with the team, starting 31 of his 32 appearances. That included a 2022 campaign where the defensive back finished with 43 tackles to go along with career highs in interceptions (three) and passes defended (15).

The 29-year-old started all 17 games for the Lions last season, finishing with 65 tackles and one interception. He also started each of Detroit’s three playoff games, adding another eight tackles. Pro Football Focus only ranked Sutton 104th among 127 qualifying cornerbacks last season.

The Steelers added Donte Jackson to start alongside Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback, but the team lacks experience beyond that duo. The team’s current depth options include upcoming sophomores Cory Trice, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and Darius Rush, who was limited to three appearances as a rookie.