And just like that, the 2026 NFL Draft season is upon us.
But before diving completely into the scouting reports, mock drafts, and rumors regarding the upcoming class, it’s worth taking another look at
2025’s. Draft grades are a time-honored tradition in NFL media, often immediately after the fact, but there’s more value in grading after the players have actually seen the field.
And, with the Steelers having over 10 expected draft picks this offseason, it’s worth taking a look at how well the front office performed with its selections last year.
How would you grade the Steelers’ 2025 draft class after one season?
First, a quick draft class in review:
Derrick Harmon: defensive tackle — round 1
Kaleb Johnson: running back — round 3
Jack Sawyer: linebacker — round 4
Yahya Black: defensive end — round 5
Will Howard: quarterback — round 6
Carson Bruener: linebacker — round 7
Donte Kent: cornerback — round 7
Harmon immediately stands out as the best pick. His 16 total tackles and three sacks don’t leap off the page, but he was a clear impact defender who made the defense better whenever he was on the field. He wasn’t Pro Bowl quality in Year 1, but he showed more than enough upside to be the player Pittsburgh drafted him to be.
The second best pick was arguably Carson Bruener, who played just one defensive snap in 2025 but became one of the team’s best special teamers, even being named to the PFWA All-Rookie team. For a seventh-round pick, that’s a fantastic result.
You could argue Yahya Black outperformed his fifth-round draft status, playing 416 defensive snaps and recording 28 total tackles. However, unlike his college tape, he had some notable struggles in run defense. There’s obviously a lot more optimism regarding what Black can be in future years, but his rookie year was full of highs and lows.
Jack Sawyer is the final player whose rookie season was a clear positive. He was unable to gain significant snaps in a talented Steelers outside linebacker room, but he logged a number of splash plays on 294 defensive snaps, including two interceptions, four passes defensed, one sack, and a touchdown.
On the “incomplete” grade side of things, neither sixth-round rookie Will Howard nor seventh-round rookie Donte Kent played a single snap in 2025, largely due to injury.
The toughest draft selection to grade would be third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson. It was an abject disappointment: a Day 2 running back finishing the season as a healthy scratch and failing to break even 100 yards from scrimmage.
But Johnson only had one truly bad play for Pittsburgh — the infamous kickoff return debacle versus Seattle — and he was buried on the depth chart behind two running backs having career years in Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. While it’s fair to say the choice to select Johnson in the third round didn’t work out for the Steelers’ 2025 season, it’s hard to judge the rest of his career off such limited opportunities.
Immediately following the draft, I gave it a B+ with a “foundational” label — not flashy, but with potential to help the team long term. Now, I’d lower it slightly but not dramatically. While the 2025 draft did somewhat underperform initial expectations in Year 1, there are still plenty of reasons for optimism going forward.
Through one year, I’d drop by grade down to a C+, which is passing, but not excelling. This is largely because Harmon is the only clear starter entering Year 2. But big improvements could be expected for a number of the 2025 draftees moving forward.
How would you grade the Steelers’ 2025 draft class after their first season? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
