The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 draft class is now heading into its third NFL season year. That said, there’s a lot we don’t know about that class yet. Two players who still have a lot to prove are CB Cory Trice Jr. and TE Darnell Washington. According to CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, in an article posted Thursday, they might just begin to prove themselves this year. Trapasso named each as a candidate to break out in 2025.
“OK, so Trice hasn’t been ridiculously productive in less than 200 career professional snaps. His play’s been encouraging, and I vividly recollect how intimidating his ball skills were in the Big Ten as a cornerback standing 6-foot-3 with nearly 33-inch arms,” Trapasso wrote. “If he can stay off the injury report, Trice has the towering presence to pair nicely with Joey Porter Jr. in the Steelers’ secondary, which is a dire need for this club.”
Of all the defenders on the Steelers’ roster, Trice might be one of most interesting. When the seventh-round pick has been on the field, it’s been encouraging. However, he just hasn’t been on the field much. Trice tore his ACL before his rookie season and dealt with a hamstring injury in 2025. He has just 193 snaps in his NFL career.
Going into 2025, Trice has a great opportunity. Pittsburgh brought in Darius Slay to start opposite of Joey Porter Jr. That gives Trice an excellent veteran to learn, with Slay wanting to help some of the younger guys on the roster. As a backup, he can also get some reps without being forced into a large amount of playing time, as he tries to figure out how to stay healthy at the NFL level.
The Steelers like Trice, and he reportedly looks more comfortable, which is a good sign. This is a massive year for Trice, and if he can play well, it will change the way the Steelers view their cornerback room going forward.
Cory Trice wasn’t the only Steeler Trapasso mentioned. He also thinks Darnell Washington could break out this year.
“Another huge swing here,” Trapasso wrote. “I can’t resist. After all Washington nearly tripled his reception total from his rookie season to Year 2. Granted, he went from seven receptions to 19, it’s still nearly triple. With Aaron Rodgers under center, I envision this third-year tight end becoming a Marcedes Lewis-type security blanket for the veteran quarterback and catching 40-plus passes while making his presence felt in the red zone too.”
Trapasso isn’t the first person to compare Washington to Marcedes Lewis. Aaron Rodgers himself has made the same comparison. And if Washington has the year Trapasso suggests, that will be massive for the Steelers. With a lack of receiving depth, Pat Freiermuth is the de facto WR2. If Pittsburgh gets its other tight end in Washington to step up as well, that would be a massive help going forward. Especially since Aaron Rodgers loves his big tight ends.
At the end of the day, the Steelers are still hoping for a little more from their 2023 class. Neither Darnell Washington nor Cory Trice were especially early draft picks, yet both have shown promise. If each has a breakout season, as Trapasso suggests, it will go a long way toward the Steelers having success in 2025.
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