The Steelers filled a lot of holes in the NFL Draft, but here are three positions that could still use a boost before training camp.
With nine selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Steelers did a pretty good job of addressing their biggest needs – primarily on the offensive side of the ball. They made it a point to help the rushing attack early by selecting Alabama running back Najee Harris. They followed this pick-up with three straight offensive players in TE Pat Freiermuth, IOL Kendrick Perkins, and OT Dan Moore Jr.
This was the first time since 1984 since the Steelers have used all four of their top draft choices to address the offensive side of the ball. In addition, Pittsburgh has used their first-round pick on a defensive player for 8 straight drafts prior to 2021 (including the trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick).
Despite having nine draft picks, there are still three positions that could really stand to be beefed up before training camp opens this summer. While there’s not a lot of money to work with, Pittsburgh could add depth to these positions:
Edge defender
After losing both Bud Dupree and Ola Adeniyi this offseason, it was almost surprising to see the Steelers wait until the sixth round to address edge defenders. Personally, I loved the Quincy Roche pick. I really thought the Miami pass rusher could have gone as high as the late third round. While I’m confident Roche is going to make the team, the Steelers could use some additional help.
Pittsburgh is good at the top with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but Roche and veteran Cassius Marsh are the only viable options as backups right now. Marsh was pretty bad when filling in last year, and he offers nothing in terms of run defense. There are several quality options in free agency who could go for pretty cheap deals after sitting in the market this long. If something were to happen to Watt or Highsmith, Pittsburgh would be in big trouble on defense.
Cornerback
The Steelers lost two quality cornerbacks this offseason in Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton and didn’t do anything to replace them in free agency. Surprisingly, they still waited until the 7th round to address the cornerback position, and there are talks that Oklahoma’s Tre Norwood could be moving to safety.
While Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton are both quality football players, the depth behind these two is razor-thin. James Pierre might have passed Justin Layne on the depth chart last season, but it’s hard to count on an unathletic undrafted free agent with just 27 career defensive snaps to step into a sizable role in his second season. We could find that he’s not the player Pittsburgh was hoping he was.
Likewise, Layne was arrested this offseason, and he already appeared to be in the doghouse late in the season. Despite his freakish length and tools, he hasn’t given us any reason to believe that he could be the answer the Steelers are looking for in 2021. With some quality veterans with lots of starting experience still sitting in free agency, Pittsburgh would be wise to bring in some added help that can get acclimated to the team before training camp. Otherwise, this secondary could see its fair share of struggles in 2021.
Tight end
Pat Freiermuth or no Pat Freiermuth, the Steelers could really use a capable number three tight end on this team. At the moment, I’m not sure if it’s even worth using a valuable roster spot on a player like Zach Gentry or Kevin Rader.
Vance McDonald retired this offseason, and he really hasn’t offered Pittsburgh a good season since 2018. Meanwhile, Eric Ebron hasn’t come close to living up to his status as a top-10 draft choice when he was drafted by the Detriot Lions, and he’s a huge liability in the run game.
Jesse James is an in-line tight end that makes a ton of sense for the Steelers to try to bring back before training camp. He could replace Ebron on the field in obvious run situations and could be a reliable option if Ebron or Freiermuth were to get injured. As of now, this group is still only two deep and there is no good number three option. The Steelers should look to fix this with a discount tight end in free agency.
I know money is extremely tight for the Steelers, and it’s highly unlikely that they could address all three of these positions with a respectable free agent. Still, in a year that could be their last legitimate run at a Super Bowl for a while, you would think they would want to do everything they can to make sure there are no holes on their roster.