5 of the Steelers worst moves during the 2021 NFL offseason

The Steelers waited on drafting defense

The Steelers had more pressing needs on offense this offseason, so it made sense that their first pick or two in the draft went to fixing those holes. While I wasn’t personally a fan of the value in taking a running back in the first, the pick certainly wasn’t a surprise. As for Pat Freiermuth, he has the potential to be a good all-around starting tight end in the NFL. Considering the need at center, this really forced the Steelers’ hands into taking three consecutive players on one side of the ball, something that has only happened one other time with the team, that being in 2016.

One would have thought, with the surplus of needs on defense, the team would have targeted a defensive back or edge rusher in the third round. Instead, the Steelers started the fourth round by selecting Moore (a fourth straight offensive player, something that has never happened) and an inside linebacker in Buddy Johnson. While both players have talent, neither fill a huge need this season. To add insult to injury, the Steelers traded a fourth-round pick next year for a defensive lineman in the fifth round, despite already overpaying Wormley earlier in the offseason.

While the Steelers got a good value in Quincy Roche in the sixth round, Tre Norwood is more of a safety than a traditional cornerback or slot option. While Shakur Brown has some hype as an undrafted option, he needs to make the roster before being counted on to start in the slot. It wasn’t a surprise that the team went offense early in the draft, but to pass on defense and eventually their top needs on defense for so long was a mistake.