The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t realize it at the time—the fans certainly didn’t realize it—but the 2017 NFL Draft class would quickly prove to be their best in years, yielding a trio of Pro Bowlers in the first three rounds by their second seasons.
One of them—first-round outside linebacker T.J. Watt—would become an instant starter. Third-round running back James Conner would not see a meaningful role until this past season. Second-round wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster fell somewhere in between, but they all met up at the same place at the end of last year: Orlando, for the Pro Bowl.