National analysts: Steelers aced Day 2, questionable Day 3, split on Kenny Pickett in Day 1

Just as seemingly everyone covering the NFL has a mock draft, those same analysts also seem to want to grade out each team’s draft within hours of its completion.

None of the players taken have stepped onto a practice field for the new teams, but that doesn’t stop those from afar to evaluate how each of the 32 teams did at the NFL’s “Annual Selection Meeting” — also known as, the draft.

It’ll be a few years before a complete comprehensive analysis can give the true winners and losers, but for now we’ll defer to those in media who are paid year-round to evaluate draft-eligible prospects to tell us what they think.

When it comes to the Steelers, the consensus seems to be that although no one is crowning them as slam-dunk winners, there doesn’t seem to be anyone who thinks they bombed in their seven picks, either. Summed up, a sampling of national media outlets believed the Steelers did “above average” work with their draft.

Although the explanations vary, a theme emerges that most analysts seem to like the Steelers’ second- and third-round picks (especially, receiver George Pickens at No. 52 overall, but also defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal at No. 84). But although the experts liked the Steelers rolling the dice on 5-7 ½ receiver Calvin Austin III in the fourth round, they aren’t as keen on the rest of the Steelers’ Day 3 haul: tight end Connor Heyward, inside linebacker Mark Robinson and quarterback Chris Oladokun.

Of course, the fates of all of the Steelers’ final six picks will be dwarfed when history does its evaluation of their 2022 draft by what happens with the first pick. The selection of quarterback Kenny Pickett at No. 20 overall was lauded by some and panned by others. The Steelers got their pick of the litter at the sport’s most important position, and it would be 54 picks before another quarterback would be taken off the board (Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, by the Atlanta Falcons).

Does that signify that the Steelers reached too early? Or is it affirmation that Pickett was by far the best of what many have said was a mediocre draft crop of QBs.

Time will tell, for sure, but for now, this is what those who are paid to analyze these things has to say about the Steelers’ 2022 draft:

NFL.com

The league’s official website gave the Steelers an “A-,” with day-by-day grades of A, A and B, respectively for Thursday (first round), Friday (second and third rounds) and Saturday (rounds four through seven).

Wrote Chad Reuter: “Kevin Colbert had an excellent final draft as the Steelers’ GM, getting value without trading away picks.”

Gregg Rosenthal liked one Steelers pick in particular: “I love Pickens’ chances of being the next Steelers receiver to prove to be a steal in the second round.”

ESPN

Legendary analyst Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Steelers a “B” grade. For context, only six were graded better by Kiper. Twelve were worse, 13 others also had a “B” designation. Kiper had Malik Willis rated above Pickett among draft-eligible QBs but said he “can’t fault the Steelers” for taking Pickett. Kiper liked the receiver duo of Pickens and Austin and said Leal “looked like a future first-rounder at times” in 2020. Kiper liked the Heyward pick more than most.

Meanwhile, ESPN colleague Todd McShay listed his “favorite pick” for each team and went with Pickens, whom he had mocked as a first-round pick.

“(Pickens) could be a great get for Pittsburgh on Day 2,” McShay wrote.

Pro Football Focus

The most famous of the advanced analytics sites gave the Steelers an overall “B+” — but it had the harshest evaluation for the Steelers’ first pick: “Landing a quarterback without having to trade up is a big win for Pittsburgh, but taking Kenny Pickett is not. He was the No. 4-ranked quarterback on PFF’s 2022 big board. There’s some serious concern with how his game translates to the NFL. “

PFF, though, was enamored with the Day 2 selections of Pickens and Leal, saying the latter “was seen as a high first-round prospect” headed into last season.

CBS Sports

This site took a collaborative approach, using myriad analysts. That allowed for a grade of each individual pick. That provides the most tangible evidence yet that media consensus applauded the Steelers at the early part of the draft but that their plaudits waned as the weekend went on.

CBS Sports’ grades, by Steelers pick: A (Pickett), A (Pickens), B (Leal), A (Austin), C (Heyward), C- (Robinson), C+ (Oladokun).

Pete Prisco said of taking Pickett, “I love this pick.” Chris Trapasso said Pickens “has first-round talent and first-round film.”

Sporting News

The legacy media outlet ranked the Steelers’ draft as seventh-best among the NFL’s 32 teams.

“GM Kevin Colbert had a clear mission in his last draft before stepping down: Make the Steelers’ offense complete and downright dangerous downfield in the passing game again in the wake of Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement,” Vinnie Iyer wrote. “The only question is whether Pickett will be the right choice vs. Malik Willis and others in the long run.”

USA Today

Touchdown Wire’s grade for the Steelers was a B+.

Wrote co-authors Doug Farrar and Mar Schofield: “Sure, given how the draft played out the Steelers might have been able to draft him at 52, but perhaps other teams shared their view of Pickett as the only QB worth drafting early, and they could not plan on Pickett being there in the second round. If you have the quarterback you want staring you in the face, why leave it to the Gods?”

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