There are two big-name quarterbacks coming and one going for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. Pittsburgh will give first shot at the starting job to Russell Wilson and have Justin Fields available as backup. Meanwhile, recent first-round pick Kenny Pickett has been traded across the state to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The moves have energized the passionate fan base and made PA sportsbooks notice.
Now, protecting the quarterbacks is clearly a priority the Steelers hope to address when the 2024 NFL Draft heads to Downtown Detroit from April 24-27.
The Steelers pick 20th overall in the opening round. They also have the 51st pick in the second round, 84th pick in the third, two picks in the fourth (Nos. 120 and 121) and a pick each in the sixth (No. 197) and seventh (No. 237) rounds.
PennStakes.com – your source for PA online casinos - broke down the odds on which prospect has the best odds of being taken with that 20th pick, as well as where the Steelers need to go to fill their depth chart in the new league year.
Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 NFL Draft Odds; Who Will They Select At Pick 20?
Our updated odds will show you we see Pittsburgh zeroing in on the best available offensive lineman. All five players on the board are O linemen.
Atop the list is Jackson Powers-Johnson, a 6-3, 320-pound interior lineman who played center at the University of Oregon. He is listed at +350, or a 22.2% chance.
The Ducks, by the way, are high on the odds board at Draft Kings Pennsylvania with odds of +1000 to win it all in their first year in the Big Ten Conference. That is fourth overall, behind Georgia (+330), Ohio State (+425) and Texas (+750).
Following Powers-Johnson, in our estimation, are a pair of interior linemen, Duke's Graham Barton (+400) and West Virginia's Zach Frazier (+450), and two massive tackles, Georgia's Amarius Mims (+500) and Washington's Troy Fautanu (+1000). The "field" is listed at +800.
What Player Positions Do the Steelers Need?
Here are the Steelers’ biggest position needs (according to NFLMockDraftDatabase.com::
- Offensive tackle
- Interior Offensive line
- Cornerback
- Wide receiver
- Defensive tackle
The Steelers are in desperate need of help in the trenches and in the defensive backfield. Pittsburgh gave up 36 sacks in 17 games last season. The Steelers also gave up 244.9 yards per game through the air, ranking 23rd in the league by that metric.
As stated earlier, the biggest need is the offensive line. The Steelers also could look to bring in another young cornerback to pair with Joey Porter Jr.
How about some depth at wide receiver behind George Pickens in later rounds?
Pickens was a tour de force out wide last year, with 63 catches and 1,140 yards in 17 games, but there’s no harm in adding depth in the later rounds at the wideout position. Finally, defensive line depth might be addressed.
Current Steelers Depth Chart For Biggest Needs
History of Steelers 1st-Round Draft Picks
Here is a look at players the Steelers have selected in the first round in the past 10 seasons.
The team will need help, as Caesars Sportsbook PA has the Steelers as the longest shot to win the AFC North at +750, behind the Ravens (+120), Bengals (+175) and Browns (+550). It should be noted those odds have improved from +900 a month ago.
Between 2014 and 2023, the Steelers’ nine first-round draft picks have posted an approximate value of 258 average value (AV), or 28.7 AV on average, with 30th overall pick T.J. Watt being the most valuable (80 AV in 104 games). Jones has provided the least AV, at 5 AV, though he’s only played in 17 games.
The next closest players when it comes to career AV totals are Dupree (43 AV in 119 games), Shazier (27 AV in 46 games) and Edmunds (27 AV in 95 games). Bush (24 AV in 65 games) and Harris (22 AV in 51 games) are the next closest, value wise.
Burns (17 AV in 86 games), Pickett (13 AV in 25 games) and Jones (5 AV in 17 games) round out the list among recent Pittsburgh first-round selections, giving Steelers fans hope that whichever prospect is picked next can continue that good fortune in 2024 and beyond.
Stay tuned to PennStakes.com for Steelers coverage throughout the season and for PA sportsbook promo codes.
