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If the 2024 NFL Draft is anything like free agency has gone so far, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be making plenty of noise. 

No team has been busier this offseason than the Steelers, whose general manager, Omar Khan, is living up to his "Khan Artist" nickname. Khan's moves have included trading Diontae Johnson to Carolina in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and draft capital, signing former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen to a lucrative, multiyear deal, signing nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson for the veterans minimum, trading Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia and then trading for former Bears first-round pick Justin Fields. 

Those moves have significantly improved a Steelers roster that went 10-7 last season. These acquisitions have also allowed Pittsburgh to use the draft to strengthen the offensive line, receiving corps, defensive line, inside linebacker and the secondary. 

Fortunately for the Steelers, this year's draft is loaded with good players at the positions Pittsburgh most needs replenished, with interior defensive line being an exception. That's why this could be a big draft for Khan, assistant general manager Andy Weidl, coach Mike Tomlin and the rest of the Steelers' brass. 

Now that the table has been set, let's take a look at how the Steelers can maximize what should be a bountiful draft. Before we do, here's a quick look at each of Pittsburgh's draft picks as well as who each of our CBS Sports draft experts has the Steelers currently taking with the 20th pick. 

Steelers 2024 draft picks 

  • Round 1, 20th overall 
  • Round 2, 51st overall 
  • Round 3, 84th overall 
  • Round 3, 98th overall 
  • Round 4, 119th overall 
  • Round 6, 178th overall 
  • Round 6, 195th overall 

CBS Sports' Steelers first-round predictions 

  • Ryan Wilson: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia 
  • Chris Trapasso: CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson 
  • Josh Edwards: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia 
  • Kyle Stackpole: C/G Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon 
  • Tom Fornelli: C/G Troy Fautanu, Washington 

Add to O-line with first pick 

This almost seems like a foregone conclusion, given what the Steelers have and haven't done in free agency up to this point. Pittsburgh has only gotten rid of offensive linemen so far, which would indicate that Khan and Co. will replenish the unit via the draft. 

All but one of our CBS Sports experts has the Steelers taking an offensive lineman in the first round. This year's draft is extremely deep at offensive tackle, but not as deep at center/guard. If the Steelers draft either Powers-Johnson or Fautanu in the first round, they should still be able to get a solid tackle prospect in the second round. At this point, the Steelers need more help at center/guard than they do at tackle. 

It'll likely come down to which player the Steelers like most and how they feel about the remaining available players at the position they don't pick with the 20th pick. 

Address WR, OL, nickel back on Day 2 

Pittsburgh has the luxury of having three picks during the second night of the draft. By the end of this night, the Steelers will have probably checked most of their boxes as far as roster needs. 

You can bank on the Steelers drafting a receiver and an offensive lineman on Day 2. I'm also fairly confident that Pittsburgh will also select a nickel back on Day 2 as well. 

There are 14 receivers who are currently being projected as Day 2 draft picks according to CBS Sports prospect ratings. There's buzz that this could be a historic draft for receivers, so the odds of Pittsburgh landing a future Pro Bowl-level wideout on Day 2 is promising. 

As you can imagine, there are several intriguing receivers who might be available on Day 2. One of those wideouts is Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley, who if drafted by Pittsburgh could fit in nicely as a slot receiver. Corley, who caught 180 passes for 2,279 yards and 22 touchdowns during his final two years with the Hilltoppers, has a clear goal regarding the upcoming draft. 

 "I'm going in the first round, sir," he recently told The News-Enterprise. 

Some have compared him to 49ers star Deebo Samuel, which is obviously a good thing. 

Like receiver, the Steelers should have their choice of offensive lineman to select on Day 2. One thing to keep in mind is Pittsburgh's affinity for Georgia players. It just so turns out that two of the top offensive tackles (JC Latham and Amarius Mims) and one of the top-ranked interior linemen (Sedrick Van Pran-Granger) hail from Georgia. 

Steelers fans remember Mike Hilton, a spark plug of a player who signed with the Bengals following a solid run in Pittsburgh. While the Steelers have yet to really replace Hilton, they could do so on Day 2 by selecting Michigan's Mike Sainristil. Like Hilton, Sainristil is an undersized yet feisty defender who excels near the line of scrimmage. 

Fill remaining holes on DL, ILB and QB 

Cam Heyward won't play forever, so one can assume that the Steelers will select his possible future successor at some point during this draft. Fans can also expect the Steelers to add depth at inside linebacker and quarterback during Day 3. 

LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith would be an ideal pick if he falls to Day 3. While he has a ton of potential, past injuries and some concerns with his technique might lead to Smith falling to someone on the draft's last day. 

Tommy Eichenberg is among the top inside linebacker prospects that will likely still be available on Day 3. A former Buckeye, Eichenberg won the Big Ten Conference's Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award this past season. His 77 solo tackles in 2022 were the most by an Ohio State player since former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier had 101 for Ohio State in 2013. 

The Steelers will enter training camp with four quarterbacks, meaning that they will sign two between now and mid-July. There's a good shot that one of those QB's will be a Day 3 draft pick. 

An interesting option here is Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of Miami star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Taulia started his college career at Alabama before having considerable success at Maryland. A three-year starter for the Terrapins, Tagovailoa had 76 touchdowns against 37 picks at Maryland while completing 67.1% of his passes.