The hype surrounding Omar Khan, and more specifically his drafts, has been like nothing ever seen in Steelers history. Every draft, the greatest draft in NFL history. Maybe it’s because of the struggles Kevin Colbert had in his last few drafts before Khan took over. Maybe it’s the newness of it all. After three years at the helm however, it’s fair to start rethinking the hype behind Omar Khan’s drafts. Because what we are seeing on the field, does not match what we’ve heard off of it.
2023 Draft:
This was Omar Khan’s first draft, and the one we have the most data to go on. Clearly, trading up for Broderick Jones was Khan’s first gaffe as this team’s general manager. People will tell you that this is Mike Tomlin’s fault for playing Jones out of position. There is merit to that argument, but it isn’t the only issue. Jones was a gamble in the first round because of his lack of experience, and his reliance on athleticism over technique. Those concerns have manifested themselves in his play in the NFL. This was a big swing by Khan, that has turned into a big miss.
The rest of this “historic” draft, as it was called at the time has not lived up to the hype. Joey Porter Jr. can not shake his penalty problems that were very clear coming out of Penn St. There may be no player in the league whose stock is dropping faster than Keeanu Benton. He may be miscast as a nose tackle, but his horrendous play there raises questions on whether or not he’d be good anywhere along the line.
Darnell Washington is what he is. A blocking tight end with minimal upside in the passing game. Which brings us to the highlight of the draft, Nick Herbig. Herbig’s pass rush abilities are much better than even the most optimistic Khan fan could have dreamt of. His get off is absolutely elite. There is concern with him defending the run, but even as a situational pass rusher getting Herbig as a fourth round pick is a win. We should also mention that getting a serviceable backup offensive lineman in the 7th round in Spencer Anderson is also a win.
If there is one player who embodies the over hype of Omar Khan’s talents as a general manager, it is Cory Trice. This is a player who has everything you need to be a very good corner in this league, size, length, speed, and talent. Omar Khan was lauded as a genius for getting this kind of talent in the 7th round. That is if you overlook one fatal flaw, he simply can not stay healthy. Many Khan supporters will still hold out hope, but after three years of being on and off the IR it’s not going to happen.
2024 Draft:
As we get closer to the present, giving any concrete conclusions can be premature. Having said that, we have seen some concerning things throughout this draft class. Troy Fautanu needs a pass at this point. He missed the entire 2024 season, making him essentially a rookie this year. I will point out however that the injury concerns are what caused him to fall into the Steelers lap in the first place. If he stays healthy going forward, and if he continues to improve this could end up being considered a successful draft pick. Lots of “ifs” associated with this player though.
Zach Frazier can be considered a home run in the second round. He is however suffering from a bit of a sophomore slump this season. Still lots to learn here before we pronounce this the victory many think it already is.
I could spend and entire post on Roman Wilson, and the Omar Khan failings at the wide receiver position. This is a bust however you want to look at it. Drafting only one wide receiver in three years is bad enough, whiffing on that one is unforgivable. The warts in Payton Wilson’s game are becoming more evident now that he has become a starter, or was a starter, He seems to have lost his full time role to after an abysmal start to the season.
Mason McCormick is what he is, a day three guard holding a starting job by default. McCormick is not a terrible player, but a far cry from the “steal” everyone proclaimed he’d be. There’s no Khan “Artistry” here, just a mid guard drafted late in the draft. Logan Lee is the same. A project who was drafted exactly where he was supposed to be drafted. No better, possibly a little worse.
2025 Draft:
The 2025 draft is nowhere near ready to be judged, so we won’t spend much time dissecting it. Derrick Harmon just got on the field, so we are very far off from any type of evaluation. Kaleb Johnson’s lack of burst is extremely concerning. He has been benched after two games so the early results aren’t great. Jack Saywer will be an ok third or fourth OLB. The argument here is Khan’s decision to draft this position when the needs elsewhere were so much more pressing. He will be forever compared to rookie standout reciever Elic Ayomanor. A really good player at a position of dire need who the Steelers ignored to take at best the 4th inside linebacker on their depth chart.
Conclusion:
Omar Khan has gotten a free pass as the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager so far, particularly in his drafting. As time goes by, the play on the field has dimmed the hype of the draft classes. There certainly needs to be more time passed to make concrete conclusions on all of Khan’s draft classes. As we enter into year three of the 2023 class, things don’t look nearly as rosy as once thought. The further along we get, people may have an entirely different view of Mr. Khan’s ability to lead this team to where they want it to be.
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