Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan took the job from Kevin Colbert following the 2022 NFL season. He is about to enter his fourth season with the team, making this his fourth draft at the helm of the organization. There are a lot of brilliant players he has drafted, but he’s also found some hidden gems during his time here. To me, these are guys who are taken during day three, or even before then, but have exceeded expectations — smaller prospects that have become household names in Pittsburgh or everyday starters.
2023
Edge rusher Nick Herbig was the 132nd pick in the fourth round, easily making him a hidden gem. Every year, he has stepped up when injuries took down fellow edge rushers Alex Highsmith or T.J. Watt. Herbig even started a playoff game against the Buffalo Bills in his rookie season after the Steelers lost T.J. Watt to injury. This year, he recorded his career high of 7.5 sacks, which is great production coming from a backup edge rusher.
Tight end Darnell Washington is by far the most debatable hidden gem on the list. Washington was taken with the 93rd pick in the third round. Due to his injury status coming into the combine, he was a bit of a gamble and dropped into the latter half of the third round. He is a consistent blocking tight end who has crazy athletic ability for his size. Every single fan knows Mount Washington, but a lot of people were questioning the pick at the time. After the 2025 season, Washington finished second among Steelers tight ends in yards with 364. He received the fewest receptions, but a couple of highlight reel plays showed his versatility and athleticism as a pass catcher. He is a growing part of the offense, and with the hiring of former Minnesota Vikings tight ends coach Brian Angelichio as offensive coordinator, his production will go up.
2024
Middle linebacker Payton Wilson was the 98th overall pick back in the third round. There was a ton of buzz coming out of college around the Wisconsin product. He won the Chuck Bednarik award for the best defensive player in the country. However, Wilson’s lack of an ACL in one knee caused him to slide to the end of the third round, making him a hidden gem and a great value pick. During his rookie season, he made several big-time plays and led the team in tackles this year. He is one of the better draft picks by the Steelers of this decade.
Right guard Mason McCormick was taken in the fourth round with the 119th pick. Coming out of South Dakota State, there wasn’t much talk surrounding his abilities. The Steelers, on the other hand, saw something special. After battling for the position in his rookie season, McCormick earned the starting job and has held it since. He is the starter for the foreseeable future and will look to build on his sophomore season.
2025
Edge rusher Jack Sawyer was the 123rd pick in the fourth round last year. He joined the rotation of edge-rushing monsters the Steelers have and has learned quickly from them. He recorded a strip sack in the team’s wild card playoff game against the Houston Texans this season. If the Steelers have to move edge rusher soon, they will have a starter to fill the gap with Jack Sawyer.