Ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers' final preseason game, there are a few things we want to go over before diving into the post-game info. The preseason is generally a great time to see young players in action, so I thought I'd put together a table of how the 2024 draft prospects for Pittsburgh and the Detroit Lions played out leading up to the game.
Besides remembering how the draft went for both teams, there were some other interesting takeaways. Both teams selected seven players, but neither had a fifth- or seventh-round pick. The Lions had no third-round picks, but doubled down on picks in the fourth and sixth rounds.
Detroit selected cornerbacks with their first two picks in the first and second rounds, which is notable from the Steelers' perspective after releasing cornerback Cam Sutton, who reunited with Pittsburgh. Detroit then shifted to being primarily on offense on Day 3, while Pittsburgh focused in the exact opposite direction in terms of the offensive end.
A closer look at the Lions draft: A short time after Pittsburgh's first pick, Detroit selected Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 24th overall pick to the Lions, while Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. was the Lions' second consecutive pick at the position, 64th in the second round.
Both players appeared in the preseason opener, but Rakestraw appeared to perform better and led the Lions to the third-best defensive grade (80.3) this preseason, per PFF. Neither played last week with minor injuries, but it will be interesting to see if they take part in Saturday's game against Pittsburgh.
The Lions waited until the fourth round before taking Giovanni Manu with the 126th pick. The British Columbia native has only played left tackle on offense this preseason. His pass blocking has looked good so far, allowing one pressure in 75 snaps, but he has been penalized and has a poor rating as a run blocker (45.2).
Utah's Sion Vaki is an interesting case. He played both offense and defense in college, primarily as a safety and running back on offense. The Lions are putting him primarily in the latter position, using his defensive prowess on special teams. He's had 10 rushes for 51 yards in the first two preseason games this season, averaging 5.1 yards per catch. He also had four catches for 60 yards in Week 2.
LSU DL Mekhi Wingo, who was not drafted in the fifth round, went to Detroit with the 189th overall pick. He struggled in his debut but has improved in his second game. In 60 preseason snaps, he only had two pressures and zero sacks. It will be interesting to see how he fare against Pittsburgh's offensive line if he plays.
The Lions' final selection was Christian Mahogany out of Boston College IOL, at No. 210 in the sixth round. He missed most of the offseason with an illness and has yet to play this preseason. Reports are that he is back with the team and the team is doing well with him, so I'll be keeping an eye on his status and his possible debut in the final game.
Of course, we're excited to see what the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class has to offer, and here's PFF's breakdown of their performance by snap count, grade, stats and takeaways.
Washington OT Troy Fautanu – 25 snaps, 63.7 offensive rating, 53.9 pass blocked, 66.3 run blocked, 2 pressures, 1 sack allowed, 9 zone run blocked snaps, 3 gap run blocked snaps. All of these opportunities came in the season opener and he was injured during the game. Thankfully it was a minor injury as Fautanu is scheduled to play in the regular season opener, but will get some valuable preseason experience as a potential starter.
West Virginia C Zach Frazier – 83 snaps, 63.5 offense, 80.7 pass blocking, 58.4 run blocking, no pressures or sacks, 24 zone run blocking snaps, 14 gap run blocking snaps. An encouraging start overall given Nate Herbig's issues and season-ending injury. Frazier has already fought his way to become a starter, and will look to play strong in the final preseason game to prepare for a significant and almost certain immediate role.
Michigan WR Roman Wilson – DNP (ankle). He is nearing his return from injury but will not play in Saturday's preseason finale. Can't wait to see him make his NFL debut.
LB Peyton Wilson, NC State – 70 snaps, 46.0 RBI, 50.4 run defense, 32.7 tackles for loss, 49.7 coverage, 6 solo tackles, 3 assists, 2 tackles missed. Unfortunately, he regressed after a great debut and was forced to leave the Week 2 game.
Luckily, Wilson has been released from concussion protocol, so hopefully his final game will bring him back on track, and instilling confidence that he can rely on his riveting skills in the regular season would be huge for the Pittsburgh defense.
South Dakota State OL Mason McCormick – 62 snaps, 51.0 offensive rating, 52.9 pass blocked, 71.2 run blocked, 2 pressures, 1 sack allowed, 19 zone run blocked snaps, 10 gap run blocked snaps. I predicted some positive trends to expect after the preseason opener and he mostly lived up to those expectations.
Week 2 was encouraging for him both against the run and pass, and his PBLK grades increased significantly (Opening Game – 58.2, Game 2 – 83.2). He had no pressures or sacks. He's also seeing more playing time at center following Herbig's injury, so his performance in the final preseason game and IOL will be in the spotlight and could move him up in the depth chart as a backup center.
Iowa DL Logan Lee – 40 snaps, 53.0 run defense, 53.7 run defense, 28.4 tackles for loss, 54.2 pass rush, no pressure/sacks, 2 assisted tackles. He will again play primarily at nose tackle, and while Lee can play up and down the line, it is not his best position and he has struggled in the process. Expect him to play his more natural position as a 3-4 defensive end and perform better.
Texas DB Ryan Watts – 55 snaps, 60.2 grade defense, 58.2 run defense, 68.0 tackles, 61.4 coverage, 10 solo tackles, 2 assisted tackles, 1 catch on 2 targets (9 yards). After a stellar debut, he continued to be great, especially as a tackler.
He led the team in that regard last game, but only had two tackles for stops (a successful defensive play) and faltered in several other areas. I felt good about my roster spot at safety, but he'll need a really strong finale to earn that honor.
Injuries aside, the rookies (Fautanu, Roman Wilson) have performed well, so hopefully they can continue to gain some valuable experience and I can't wait to see what the 2024 draft class looks like in the final preseason games.
Which rookies are you most excited to see? Who do you think will perform well (if they play)? Thanks for reading and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
