3 reasons Steelers could neglect offense in the first round of the NFL Draft

Steelers could have some sizable holes on defense

I’m not arguing that the offense doesn’t have a plethora of holes – clearly, it does. However, I know how Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert value keeping an elite defense, and they could take a step back next year if they don’t address some needs on that side of the ball.

As I mentioned before, Bud Dupree will be gone this offseason, and he was having a Pro Bowl-caliber season before an ACL tear ended his 2020 campaign early. While Alex Highsmith looks like he is going to be a good player, the Steelers clearly need more depth at the position, and they will want to do something to help replace what was lost this year.

In addition, Cameron Sutton, Mike Hilton, and Tyson Alualu are all free agents this year, and with the cap numbers Steven Nelson and Joe Haden each have this year, it’s likely that one of them is cut this offseason. On top of this, Vince Williams is 31 years old and linebacker was one of the biggest liabilities on the entire team. Though Devin Bush will give them a boost upon his return, the Steelers desperately need another linebacker who can cover to effectively run this defense.

Pittsburgh obviously has a ton of needs that must be addressed on the offensive side of the ball, but history and value could cause the Steelers to use their pick on defense for the ninth year in a row. We will unravel more of their plan as the offseason continues.