Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan called the 2023 National Football League (NFL) Draft a “productive weekend” as the franchise selected seven players, including offensive tackle Broderick Jones and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Selected with the 14th overall pick in the first round, Jones was an Associated Press All-SEC first-team selection with the University of Georgia Bulldogs in 2022. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called Jones a player with “big-time upside” and “a competitor’s mentality.”
Pittsburgh’s offensive line ranked 16th among all NFL teams in the Pro Football Focus (PFF) rankings in 2022. Jones, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound player who started every game last season for Georgia, should help the team in that area. Pittsburgh was so adamant about drafting him that they traded their own first-round pick and a fourth-round pick to the New England Patriots to move up in the draft.
Porter Jr., selected in the second round with the 32nd overall pick, played four seasons at Penn State and recorded 113 tackles, 20 defended passes, one interception, and one quarterback sack. At 6 foot 2 and 195 pounds, Porter Jr. has a good combination of size, length, and athleticism that should serve him well in Pittsburgh. His father played linebacker for the Steelers from 1999 to 2006.
The Steelers selected University of Wisconsin defensive lineman Keeanu Benton with the 49th overall pick in the second round. Benton, a 6-foot-4, 317-pound player, registered 36 tackles, 10 of which were for a loss of yards, and 4.5 sacks last season and was an All-Big Ten third-team selection. He had 81 tackles and nine sacks through 39 career college games. Benton is the fourth former Wisconsin player on Pittsburgh’s roster for the 2023 season, along with T. J. Watt, Scott Nelson, and Isaiahh Loudermilk.
Pittsburgh added to its tight-end depth in the third round of the draft by selecting Darnell Washington from the University of Georgia. Pittsburgh acquired the pick used to draft Washington from the Carolina Panthers. Washington joins former Georgia teammates Jones and George Pickens on the Steelers roster. The 6-foot-7, 265-pound tight end caught 28 passes for 454 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games last season.
Pittsburgh added linebacker Nick Herbig with its fourth-round pick, 132nd overall. The younger brother of guard Nate Herbig, whom the Steelers signed during the offseason, Nick recorded 47 tackles, 15.5 of which were for a loss, and 11 sacks in 11 games for Wisconsin last season. He said he and his brother, whom he also considers his best friend, have talked about playing together in the NFL since they were kids.
The Steelers selected Cory Trice Jr. and Spencer Anderson with its two seventh-round picks. Trice Jr., a 6-foot-3, 210-pound defensive back, spent five seasons at Purdue University and recorded 106 tackles, 15 defended passes, and five interceptions. He started his collegiate career as a safety and is skilled in press coverage.
Anderson, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive lineman, started 13 games for Maryland last season and was a key blocker for the team’s passing attack, which was third in the Big Ten with an average of 259.8 yards per game. He was named to PFF’s Preseason All-Big Ten second team in 2022.
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