3ders.org - 3D printing applications

2023 NFL Draft: Full List Of Steelers Picks, Plus Potential Fits, First-round Trades, More

Finally, after months of mock drafts, combines and prospect visits, the 2023 NFL Draft is finally here and rolling along into Day 2. It is certainly a big draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Omar Khan, who is in the middle of his first draft as the team's general manager. 

Khan made a splash during the first round. For the first time since 2019, the Steelers traded up in the first round. They gave the Patriots the 17th and 120th picks in exchange for the 14th overall pick. With the pick, Pittsburgh selected former Georgia standout offensive tackle Broderick Jones. Jones provides much-needed depth behind starters Dan Moore Jr. And Chukwuma Okorafor. 

Pittsburgh didn't overthink the first pick in the second round, selecting Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. With the 32nd overall pick. The son of former Steelers standout linebacker Joey Porter, the younger Porter will play alongside two-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. 

Below is a rundown of every pick the Steelers will make during the 2023 NFL Draft. Here are how things look as the Steelers prepare for Day 2 of the draft. 

1

14. OT Broderick Jones (Georgia)

2

32. Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State)

2

49

3

80

7

241

7

251

Jones is the first offensive lineman the Steelers have taken in the first round since selecting guard David DeCastro back in 2012. In Jones, the Steelers are getting a 6-foot-4, 310-pound offensive tackle who helped the Bulldogs win the last two national titles. An Associated Press All-SEC First-Team selection last year, Jones started in each of Georgia's 15 games. His impressive athleticism and prowess as a finisher were two of the main things that stood out during Jones' time at Georgia. 

With only 19 college starts, Jones' inexperience was one of the few knocks on his resume. In Pittsburgh, Jones will get the luxury of playing behind Moore and Okorafor while he gets acclimated to the pro game. 

Porter has made no secret what playing for his dad's team would mean to him. He would also relish the chance to play alongside Peterson, who played with Joey Sr. During his final NFL season as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Drafting Porter would possibly allow the Steelers to move Peterson to free safety while moving Fitzpatrick to strong safety. 

NFL Draft 2023: Deonte Banks Says He'll Bring 'superpower,' As Dominant NFC East Receivers Loom

Deonte Banks thought reaching the NFL was possible when he arrived at Maryland in 2019.

Surely very few people, at that point, agreed with that opinion.

Banks was rated as a two-star recruit by Rivals. His other scholarship offers: Buffalo, Delaware State, and Kent State. He was not exactly a highly sought-after player. But he didn't care.

"I felt like it was always close," Banks said of the NFL. "I feel like once I put my mind to anything, I can do it."

And now, he's here in the NFL, ready to show off his quiet confidence and swagger. Both were on full display Friday afternoon during Banks' introductory Giants press conference.

The Giants on Thursday night picked him 24th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, trading up one spot in a deal with the Jaguars — which cost the Giants a fifth-round pick and a seventh-rounder.

Banks almost certainly will now start at the outside cornerback spot opposite Adoree' Jackson. How will Banks handle that role? Well, he has the length and size (6 feet and 197 pounds) to excel in press man-to-man coverage — something that coordinator Wink Martindale's defense requires.

"I just try to be aggressive and use my superpower, which is my physicality," Banks said.

His man coverage success also stems from his mentality — which he thinks is a must for his position.

"I feel like you've got to have a little edge to you," Banks said. "That's my personality. I'm real competitive."

So what does he think about three corners (Devon Witherspoon, Emmanuel Forbes, and Christian Gonzalez) being taken in front of him Thursday?

"Good for them," he said, adding nothing more.

He did say that "gives me a little edge" as he enters the NFL and prepares to be a Week 1 starter.

This all jibes with what Banks said earlier this year at the NFL Scouting Combine. He doesn't speak at length — but he makes his words matter.

"I'm a lockdown corner," he said then. "I physically impose my will on people — all game."

Now, his NFC East challenges are clear: Philadelphia's DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, Dallas' CeeDee Lamb, and Washington's Terry McLaurin.

As Banks tries to stop those receivers, he'll play in a defense he has watched for years. Banks grew up in Baltimore, and Martindale was the Ravens' defensive coordinator from 2018-21. So Banks watched plenty of Martindale's scheme — and knows the man coverage it demands.

"That's something I just embrace," Banks said.

The Giants had a revolving door at their No. 2 corner spot in 2022, after rookie general manager Joe Schoen had to cut James Bradberry (who landed with the Eagles) because he desperately needed salary cap space — the result of Dave Gettleman's roster-building failures.

The Giants were going to have Aaron Robinson, a 2021 third-rounder, start opposite Jackson. But a knee injury limited Robinson to two games in 2022.

Martindale then turned to Fabian Moreau (749 snaps) and Nick McCloud (537 snaps) at No. 2 corner, with Cor'Dale Flott getting 335 snaps. But it seemed unlikely any of those three would be a long-term solution. Ditto for Robinson, who has struggled with injuries through two seasons.

While McCloud, Robinson, and Flott are back, Moreau remains a free agent and surely won't return. And barring something unforeseen this spring and summer, the No. 2 corner job now belongs to Banks anyway — though he'll technically have to earn it.

Plus, Jackson — who remains the Giants' No. 1 corner — is entering the final year of his contract. Though he's not old — he turns 28 in September — it's possible he could depart in free agency next offseason, with Banks taking over as the No. 1 corner. Of course, that all depends on how Banks performs this season, when Jackson will be asked to mentor him.

If things unfolded differently in the 2022 draft, the corner-needy Giants might've picked Sauce Gardner at No. 5. Instead, the Giants got prodigious edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux there, after Gardner — who wound up being the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year — went fourth to the Jets.

Want to bet on the NFL?

See the best NJ Sports Betting sites

On Thursday night, Banks said he is highly confident he can mimic Gardner's rookie dominance. We're about to find out, since opposing quarterbacks figure to test Banks early and often.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.Com.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

NFL Draft: Florida High Schools Finish With The Most First-round Selections

For the first time since 2019, the state of Florida finished with the most first-round selections during the opening day of the 2023 NFL Draft. Anthony Richardson of Eastside (Gainesville) was the first of six picks who played high school football in the Sunshine state when the Indianapolis Colts selected him fourth overall.

Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks), Jalen Carter (Eagles), Calijah Kancey (Buccaneers), Zay Flowers (Ravens) and Nolan Smith (Eagles) join Richardson as first-round picks. It was the third straight draft IMG Academy (Bradenton) had someone selected in the first round after the Eagles took Smith 30th overall. Kancey became the fifth player from Northwestern (Miami) to be selected in first round since 2014.

It was the sixth time over the last 10 years the Sunshine State had the most picks in draft's opening round. ...

Continue Reading on MaxPreps.Com

---