The Pittsburgh Steelers had an extremely successful 2023 NFL Draft, addressing many needs and adding players that could contribute to increased team success in the 2023 season. It all started when the Steelers traded up from the 17th pick to the 14th pick with the New England Patriots to select Broderick Jones, a left tackle from Georgia.
Ari Meirov from The 33rd Team tweeted out a clip from the Washington Commanders' recent YouTube video showing that the Commanders were also interested in the Patriots' pick which could have derailed the Steelers' entire draft.
Joe Robbins / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Former Georgia and now Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones moves around on the field during a college game.
Commanders' Interest In The Patriots' Pick
Throughout the clip, it is made clear that the Commanders wanted their guy at the cornerback position, Emmanuel Forbes. The Commanders had the 16th pick in the draft but were worried a team picking before them might take the cornerback. The front office was so dead-set on getting Forbes that they were putting out calls to organizations picking before them in an attempt to trade up. One of these calls was made to the New England Patriots who at the time had the 14th pick.
The teams traded calls back and forth, New England wanted a third-rounder in addition to the Commanders' first-round pick. However, the Commanders were only willing to move a first-round pick and their fourth. Eventually, Washington decided to stay put at the 16th slot in the draft. They made this decision despite both General Manager Martin Mayhew and Executive Vice President of Football/Player Personnel Marty Hurney expressing concern that Forbes would not fall to them.
"He's probably the cleanest guy up there" Mayhew said. Hurney then said "Ron [Rivera], I don't think he [Forbes] gets past the Patriots."
The decision by the Commanders' front office to stay put was likely due to the strength of the cornerback position near the top of the draft with players such as Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter Jr both still available, and it ultimately paid off for them as they were still able to draft Forbes with the 16th pick.
The San Diego Union - Tribune / Luis M. Alvarez
Ron Rivera With New Draft Pick Emmanuel Forbes
Steelers Trade With The Patriots For The 14th Pick
The Commanders deciding not to trade up with the Patriots opened the door for Omar Khan and the Steelers to move up to the 14th pick. The Steelers did not have to trade a third-round pick to make this move, they gave up their first-round pick along with their fourth to move up the three spots. While it seems as though all the Patriots got in exchange for this move was the Steelers' first and fourth-rounder, they also were given the opportunity to block the New York Jets from selecting the last of the elite offensive tackles near the top of the draft by trading their pick to Pittsburgh.
The Jets, a division rival of the Patriots, also needed a tackle to help bolster their offensive line and had Broderick Jones high on their draft board. Had the Patriots and Commanders been able to execute their trade on draft night, it is likely that Broderick Jones would have been off the board before the Steelers had the opportunity to select him.
Steelers' 2023 Draft Class
The Steelers have been highly praised by NFL Insiders all over the internet for how they performed during the draft. They addressed the need for a tackle by selecting Jones in the first round and then improved the secondary by drafting Joey Porter Jr out of Penn State in the second round. The success goes beyond the first two rounds as they also selected Keeanu Benton, Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, Spencer Anderson and Cory Trice Jr who are all expected to contribute to the teams' success. Cory Trice has especially been praised since the start of OTAs.
Gene J. Puskar / AP
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Cory Trice Jr. (27) attends the NFL football team’s rookie minicamp in Pittsburgh Friday, May 12, 2023.
It's safe to say that had the Commanders and Patriots trade gone through, Steelers fans would be looking at a much different draft class. Filling crucial needs in both the first and second rounds, and then adding impressive players throughout the rest of the draft led to this draft class being amongst the best in the NFL.
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