Steelers' Rooting Guide for 2023 NFL Draft Implications of Week 12

After picking up a win in Week 10, the Pittsburgh Steelers continued their march toward a top-10 pick in Week 11 with a 37-30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

It wasn't all bad. There was the silver lining of one of Kenny Pickett's best performances to date. The rookie quarterback had 265 yards through the air with one touchdown and no interceptions in the loss.

It also brings them one step closer to having a premium pick in the 2022 draft. It might not be what Pittsburgh fans want to think about, but the chance to add a top-10 pick to their roster isn't something the franchise has had often.

But if you are going to suffer through a losing season, you might as well hope you get your money's worth.

That doesn't mean rooting for the Steelers to lose, but it certainly means hoping for some beneficial results to boost that draft stock.

Current Draft Order

David Becker/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 30: A general view of confetti on the ground during round four of the 2022 NFL Draft on April 30, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

1. Houston Texans

2. Carolina Panthers

3. Chicago Bears

4. Las Vegas Raiders

5. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)

6. Detroit Lions (from LA Rams)

7. Houston Texans (from Cleveland)

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

10. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans)

11. Arizona Cardinals

12. Detroit Lions

13. Green Bay Packers

14. Indianapolis Colts

15. Atlanta Falcons

16. Los Angeles Chargers

17. New England Patriots

18. Washington Commanders

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Denver Broncos (from SF via MIA)

21. Seattle Seahawks

22. New York Jets

23. Cincinnati Bengals

24. New York Giants

25. Baltimore Ravens

26. Tenessee Titans

27. Dallas Cowboys

28. Buffalo Bills

29. Minnesota Vikings

30. Kansas City Chiefs

31. Philadelphia Eagles

Order via Tankathon

Where the Steelers Stand

AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski

Northwestern left tackle Peter Skoronski could be a huge addition for the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers would have the ninth pick if the draft were held today, but there's a lot left to sort out.

The Steelers' 3-7 record has them in a five-way tie with other struggling franchises. However, the Pittsburgh strength of schedule pits them last among those teams. The combined winning percentage of the Steelers' upcoming opponents is at .526. The Raiders—who are sitting at No. 4—have the same record but have a combined opponent winning percentage of .460.

Ahead of the Thanksgiving games, ESPN used their FPI metric to simulate the rest of the season and project the draft order. According to those projections, the Steelers have an 84.5 percent chance of getting a top-10 pick.

There's a 49.4 percent chance they'll be picking in the top five.

Their draft slot could be the difference between having their top pick of the best left tackle prospect in the draft or trying to talk themselves into another, so every game counts from here on out.

Games to Watch

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Russell Wilson's Broncos face the Carolina Panthers in a game only draft aficionados might care about.

Panthers at Broncos, 1 p.m. ET

Those really looking forward to the 2023 draft might be the only ones tuning in when the 3-8 Carolina Panthers visit the 3-7 Denver Broncos. Even the hometown fans of both teams might find something else to do on the holiday weekend.

The Panthers will be on their third starting quarterback of the season with Sam Darnold getting the nod. The Broncos don't even own their first-round pick, so they have no reason to be making any decisions that would lose them the game.

However, the Panthers already have a one-game advantage in the loss column, so it would benefit the Steelers more for them to pull off the upset here.

Maybe Darnold will provide a jolt and Carolina might pick up a few wins that elevate them from the No. 2 spot.

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Buccaneers at Browns, 1 p.m. ET

Steelers fans might want to sit this one out, but the Browns could play themselves back into the middle of the draft, so they might have to hold their nose and quietly hope for a Cleveland win against the Bucs.

Tom Brady's team isn't a threat to the Steelers' draft positioning. Even though a loss would drop them to 5-6, they'd still be right there with the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South crown.

However, a Browns win in their last game before Deshaun Watson finishes out his suspension could give Cleveland a little wave of momentum. They don't own their draft pick, so they have no reason to tank as the season nears the end.

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Ravens at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET

If rooting for the Browns is completely unpalatable, then the Ravens-Jaguars game should be a good palate cleanser. It comes with the benefit of rooting for improved draft position and hoping the Ravens get beat.

The Steelers' AFC North counterpart is obviously the favorite here. At 7-3, the Ravens are winning the division and riding a five-game winning streak.

However, their offensive effort against the Panthers makes an upset loss possible here. Coming off the bye week, they scored just 13 points in the 13-3 win. The Jaguars only have three wins but have been competitive all year. The 27-17 loss to the Chiefs was their first game since Week 3 that was decided by more than one score.