Will the Steelers 2022 draft class follow the recent trend of the majority making the team?

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 NFL Draft class was special in a lot of ways. Only have six players selected, due to not having a first round pick after trading it for Minkah Fitzpatrick, not only did all six players make the team — they all played.

At this point, we all know how much the Steelers value their draft capital, which means they also value their draft picks. If the decision is between a drafted player and an Undrafted Rookie Free Agent (UDFA), they are likely to stick with the player they selected in the NFL Draft. Not that there aren’t exceptions, just look at last year when they parted ways with Quincy Roche for Jamir Jones.

The past several years, the Steelers have made it almost a priority to keep as many rookies as they can on their team. It makes sense, and it is how the team has built their roster for decades. Let’s take a look at the last five draft classes, and how many players made the team from those classes:

*- Didn’t make the team

2017

T.J. Watt
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Cam Sutton
James Conner
Joshua Dobbs
Brian Allen
Colin Holba *
Keion Adams *

2018

Terrell Edmunds
James Washington
Mason Rudolph
Chukwuma Okorafor
Marcus Allen
Jaylen Samuels
Joshua Frazier *

2019

Devin Bush Jr.
Diontae Johnson
Justin Layne
Benny Snell Jr.
Zach Gentry
Sutton Smith *
Isaiah Buggs
Ulysess Gilbert III
Derwin Gray *

2020

Chase Claypool
Alex Highsmith
Anthony McFarland Jr.
Kevin Dotson
Antoine Brooks Jr.
Carlos Davis

2021

Najee Harris
Pat Freiermuth
Kendrick Green
Dan Moore Jr.
Buddy Johnson
Isaiahh Loudermilk
Quincy Roche *
Tre Norwood
Pressley Harvin III

When you look at the Steelers 2022 NFL Draft class, you have to wonder if there will be any players who don’t make the team. There were seven players drafted, and a good majority of them are locks for a spot on the 53-man roster, barring injury. Let’s take a look at the class, in case you forgot:

2022

Kenny Pickett
George Pickens
DeMarvin Leal
Calvin Austin III
Connor Heyward
Mark Robinson
Chris Oladokun

When looking at the class, deciphering how many of the seven who will, or won’t, make the team isn’t a slam dunk. As stated earlier, some are easy, like Pickett, Pickens and Leal, but others are a crapshoot.

Last week, thanks to DraftKings Reacts, we polled Steelers fans about how many draft picks they thought would make the team in 2022. Their answer was predominantly “4-5”. The second answer was “6-7”.

Check out the results in the image below:

When you think about the class, how do you see it shaking out, as it pertains to the players who will make the roster? Do you see a way all seven players make the team? Who would be the surprise cut from the draft class, like Roche was last season to many?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the team as they prepare for the next phase of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp.