6 Steelers who are poised to break out in 2020 season
By Andrew Falce
James Washington
One of the most exciting players on this team is James Washington. After he struggled through his rookie season, he saw a considerable amount of playing time last year. A very untraditional deep threat (5’11, 215 pounds and ran a 4.5 forty-yard dash), Washington flourished catching the ball deep, averaging 16.7 yards per reception. This was behind very inconsistent QB play, as well as with QB’s who struggled to push the ball deep.
Washington is likely to only be the #3 WR this year, seeing time in three WR sets as the Z. The Steelers run enough three WR sets for this to work though, and he should still see 65-70 percent of the offensive snaps. The big plus will be catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger though, who is a much more accomplished QB and can connect deep on passes better than anyone throwing the ball last season.
While Chase Claypool may cut into Washington’s red zone snaps, he should still see plenty of opportunities elsewhere. While he isn’t the most complete WR, he finds a way to win deep, and the role of deep threat will primarily belong to him next year. Assuming he maintains a YPC around 15 or better, he could be close to 1000 yards next year. His TD’s will likely be around where they were this year, but that yardage spike will be huge for next year. The Steelers are set to have a potent passing game from all sides, and Washington will be the over the top threat next year.
Next. Steelers who are entering their final year with the team. dark
While the players on this list have had a variety of success so far in their careers, they all seemed primed to take their game to the next level. While having all of them achieve extreme success is unlikely, the Steelers will be counting on them to help deliver another super bowl win for the Steelers.