Winning culture evident in Steelers’ 2024 draft class

Roman Wilson played on Michigan teams that went to the college football national playoffs in three consecutive years and won a championship after the 2023 season.

Troy Fautanu’s teams at Washington went 25-3 in his two full seasons as a starter, reaching the national title game this past year.

On the Division I FCS level, Mason McCormick spent the past two seasons anchoring the offensive line for South Dakota State teams that won the 2022-23 national titles. He also appeared in another championship game during his six years at the school.

Wilson doesn’t think it is a coincidence that each player ended up being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I think that is something coach (Mike) Tomlin wants around here,” Wilson said a week ago at rookie minicamp, “a bunch of guys who have been around a winning culture and know how to win and do whatever it takes to win.”

Team president Art Rooney II’s proclamation that it’s time for the Steelers to start winning playoff games — something they haven’t done since the 2016 season — has resonated throughout the organization. It led to the signing of nine-time Pro Bowl and former Super Bowl champion quarterback Russell Wilson and other roster moves aimed at helping the Steelers win in the 2024 postseason.

It carried through to the draft. The Steelers placed an emphasis on experience and winning when making some of their top picks.

“Nothing beats experience — experience in those big games,” said Fautanu, the burly tackle who was taken in the first round with the No. 20 overall selection. “That is the goal to bring another (championship) here. Every day we walk upstairs to the offensive line room, and we see those six trophies. Growing up and watching those teams, you want to go back again.”

Three of the team’s six draft picks this year from the Division I FBS level played for schools that won their respective conference championship games and participated in the college football playoffs. That includes defensive back Ryan Watts, whose Texas Longhorns went 12-2, won the Big 12 title and played Washington in the national semis.

The other three players — West Virginia’s Zach Frazier, N.C. State’s Payton Wilson and Iowa’s Logan Lee — played for schools that finished a combined 28-12 last season. West Virginia and N.C. State each went 9-4, with Iowa topping out at 104.

Then there is McCormick, who made 57 consecutive starts at emerging D-I FCS power South Dakota State. In McCormick’s four full seasons as a starter, the Jackrabbits had a combined 48-7 record.

“There is definitely something to winning, being part of a winning culture that a lot of us have,” McCormick said. “You learn and progress in your career, and to know what it looks like is a good thing.”

It’s also illustrative that in two years with Omar Khan serving as general manager and Andy Weidl setting up the draft board, McCormick is the only player the Steelers have taken from a non-Power 5 school.

In 2023, the Steelers selected two players from the national champion Georgia Bulldogs, including top pick Broderick Jones. And with the 2024 draft class, the Steelers valued players with multiple seasons of starting experience.

“It’s good to have a group that is mature as players and as people,” Tomlin said. “I think that’s reflective of the collective that you’re talking about. All that means is we should expect those guys to have a high floor and maybe have a good presentation of what they’re capable of early on. For that, we’re excited, certainly.”

The Steelers also sought players who weren’t afraid to overcome adversity in their college careers. Payton Wilson persevered through two ACL tears and a shoulder injury that cost him most of the 2021 season. He played in 23 games over his final two seasons with the Wolfpack.

Frazier made a lasting impression after his final snap at West Virginia last season. With the Mountaineers trying to drive for a last-minute goahead score against Baylor, Frazier injured his leg on a play. He was aware enough of the situation to hobble off the field, saving enough time for West Virginia to score the winning touchdown.

“We value the tape, and, oftentimes, the tape is produced by good relationships with the game and work ethic and being solid individuals,” Tomlin said. “We value all of those things. We research. I think that’s kind of reflective of this group.”

It didn’t take long for some of the Steelers draft picks to form a bond. The three draftees on the offensive line — Frazier, Fautanu and McCormick — carpooled in Frazier’s truck to rookie minicamp.

“We’ve never been in the NFL. We don’t know what it’s like,” Fautanu said. “To be able to navigate that together is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. Having Zach and Mason out here with me is something not a lot of guys get.”