4 Pittsburgh Steelers rookies that will make the biggest impact in 2021

Quincy Roche, outside linebacker

Quincy Roche was seen by many as a prospect that could go anywhere from the fourth to the fifth round in the draft and he fell. The Steelers were able to select the player in the sixth round out of Miami. Roche was a grad transfer from Temple to Miami where he played well. His best years were at Temple where he put up monster numbers that translated nicely over to his new Florida team.

Pittsburgh needed outside linebacker depth in the worst way and even with the addition of this player, they still need to find some quality guys. This rookie will have a role on the starting defense and a major part on special teams going forward.

T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are the starters and that seems like a promising duo for the defense. They will need a couple of snaps off per game and that is when Roche will enter the game. He has a nice blend of pass-rush ability while also having experience dropping back into coverage. That is becoming rarer for these players coming out of college and that is nice to see in a player like him.

Roche’s ability to keep the intensity up while one of the starters is on the sideline is going to be huge this season. He will serve in a role just like Alex Highsmith did during his rookie year and that is still a big role for this team.