Mel Kiper grades the Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 NFL Draft class

Mel Kiper believes the Pittsburgh Steelers put together a solid class at the 2022 NFL Draft this past weekend. The ESPN analyst gave the Steelers a B in his recent grades, which were released Saturday evening following the conclusion of the draft.

Pittsburgh started the draft off by addressing its biggest need: quarterback. With Ben Roethlisberger retiring this offseason after 18 seasons with the franchise, it was pretty much expected they look for his replacement in the first round. Although many thought Liberty product Malik Willis would be the pick, the Steelers instead opted to keep Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett in the city.

Kiper didn’t agree with that move, and isn’t certain that Pickett will earn the starting job right away.

“I liked Malik Willis a little bit more than Kenny Pickett, but I can’t fault the Steelers for going with the local quarterback,” the ESPN analyst wrote. “My comp for Pickett? Some Derek Carr, some Andy Dalton. Teams can win with that. I don’t know that he’ll definitely beat out Mitch Trubisky in Year 1, and he doesn’t have the ceiling of Willis. But the important part is that the front office didn’t have to move up to get him, so this is solid value in a strange draft when Pickett was the only signal-caller selected in the first two rounds.”

Following the selection of Pickett, the Steelers addressed yet another major need in the second round, selecting Georgia receiver George Pickens 52nd overall. Pickens is likely to have a solid role in the offense next season after JuJu-Smith Schuster and James Washington left for new teams in free agency. Pittsburgh added another receiver in the fourth round, selecting Memphis product Calvin Austin III with the No. 138 overall pick.

In the third round, the Steelers took Texas A&M defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal, who should find a role up front. They also added Michigan State tight end Connor Heyward, the brother of Pittsburgh defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, in what was one of the more heartwarming moments of the draft.

“George Pickens and Calvin Austin III are nice replacements for JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington,” Kiper wrote. “Pickens is more of the Washington role — he’ll catch some fades down the sideline — while the diminutive dynamo Austin will line up mostly out of the slot and rack up yards after the catch. Defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal (84) looked like a future first-rounder at times in 2020, but he struggled for consistency last season. He has some versatility along the Pittsburgh front. Connor Heyward (208) is my top-ranked fullback in the class, and he’ll join his brother, Cam, in the yellow and black.”

The Steelers finished up their draft class by taking Ole Miss linebacker Mark Robinson and South Dakota State quarterback Chris Oladokun in the seventh round. Pittsburgh has not had a losing season since 2003, and with these talented rookies, the future looks like more of the same.