CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The NFL offseason is about to pick up in a hurry as free agency begins in just a few days, and preparation for the NFL Draft at the end of April continues.
And now, with the NFL officially announcing the list of compensatory picks for 16 teams, we know exactly where the Steelers will be picking in all seven rounds of the draft.
Despite not having selections in the fifth or sixth round, the Steelers still have seven selections this year. The fifth round pick was traded away when the team acquired Ahkello Witherspoon before the start of the 2021 season, and the sixth-rounder was traded away when Malik Reed was acquired before the start of last season.
However, an additional seventh-round pick was acquired in the Reed trade. And, more importantly, the Steelers acquired Chicago's second-round pick when Omar Khan traded Chase Claypool to the Bears at the trade deadline last season. Chicago wound up finishing 2022 in a tailspin and finished with the worst record in the NFL, giving the Steelers the first selection of the second round.
Here are the official slots from which the Steelers will pick this April:
• First Round: 17th pick in round (17th pick overall)
• Second Round (from Chicago): 1st pick in round (32nd pick overall)
• Second Round: 18th pick in round (49th pick overall)
• Third Round: 17th pick in round (80th pick overall)
• Fourth Round: 18th pick in round (120th overall)
• Seventh Round: 17th pick in round (234th pick overall)
• Seventh Round (from Denver): 24th pick in round (241st pick overall)
The Steelers have a great opportunity to improve their roster over the next several weeks in both free agency and the draft. Khan has plenty of ways to clear salary cap space to make room for free agent signings. There are important re-signings that need to take place, with Cam Sutton at the top of the priority list. However, adding an impactful signing or two is very much within the realm of possibility.
What's more, having four selections in the first 80 picks in the draft is a luxury the Steelers seldom have, especially when they don't finish with a sub-.500 record in the previous season. With this year's class being very deep at cornerback and plenty of options on both sides of the trenches early on, Khan and Mike Tomlin can put their heads together to add players that can contribute right away at positions of need.
How this plays out remains to be seen. And, there are other factors that will obviously determine the Steelers' level of success in 2023, highlighted by the continued growth of a young offense centered around Kenny Pickett. But, the Steelers are set up in a great way to complement that young core over the next several weeks as they hope to take another step toward a return to contention.
