Over the course of the last five NFL drafts, it has been a mixed bag for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Athletic ranked all 32 teams by their ability to draft talent over the last five drafts and like with most things releated to the Steelers, the results were good but not great.

According to their rankings, the Steelers checked in at No. 12. Not right in the middle like we are used to seeing on things like power rankings, but still outside of the top teams.

The Steelers have had one Pro Bowl player who was drafted over the last five years. That was running back Najee Harris, who made the Pro Bowl in 2021. He’s now a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. They named edge defender Alex Highsmith the best pick during that stretch, which really highlights the mediocrity of this five-year stretch. We’d have named tight end Pat Freiermuth the best pick and Highsmith the best value, whereas The Athletic named wide receiver George Pickens the best value.

There is a ton of hope for the 2024 class once offensive tackle Troy Fautanu comes back healthy. Pittsburgh could have four starters from that class with three of them on the offensive line and at least two of the other draftees as key reserves.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Steelers check in at No. 12 on ranking of ability to draft