Steelers Now
During the 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class as a collective saw a significant amount of playing time, even though guys like Troy Fautanu and Roman Wilson were sidelined with injuries. With first-year pros, you’re always grading on a curve to an extent, especially since certain positions typically have lengthier developmental curves than others.
Typically, it takes prospects a little bit to get acclimated to the jump in competition level and different stylistic brand of football that is the NFL, but every now and then you’ll see a player like Zach Frazier hit the ground running from day one. Because it’s far from the norm, it’s fair to classify that as an early success story, but there is even more optimism to be found beyond that as it relates to others in the class.
SN analyst Derrick Bell breaks down the rookie class in depth, detailing where individual players excelled in year one, what areas of their game need further development, and their future outlook as it pertains to the direction of the team.
For the two aforementioned players who didn’t see playing time because of unfortunate circumstances, it was worth discussing how their respective skill sets should help the offense in 2025 and beyond, highlighting specific areas where they can make an immediate impact while also minimizing their weaknesses early in the process. With this being a franchise in transition, it’s even more pertinent that this group and the 2023 class continue to trend in a positive direction in order for the Steelers to get back to competing in a tough AFC.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: One Year In: Reviewing Steelers 2024 NFL Draft Class
