Despite promising factors, Steelers still have a lot to prove in 2021

While the Pittsburgh Steelers certainly look the part heading into the summer, they are not quite out of the woods yet.

The Steelers have done everything right so far this offseason, in regards to who all they had returned to the team and who all they obtained to replace the talents they lost. I even went as far as to declare them the top team in the AFC North following the draft; and when in competition with the Ravens and Browns, that is quite a title to behold.

Unfortunately, though, all of that was based on names, and virtually nothing more. Sure, Pittsburgh has officially returned to its playoff-making ways following last season, but outside of that, everything and everyone else that has made the Steelers look good recently has been strictly on paper.

For starters, the addition of running back Najee Harris has taken the football world by storm since his name was called on April 29th. The reasoning for this is obviously due to him being elected as the savior of Pittsburgh’s terrible rushing attack. However, how good will he be, especially as a rookie? The chances of this guy coming into the league and blowing it up right off the bat are quite slim in actuality.

Speaking of running game struggles, an inexperienced RB is usually only as good as the offensive line that is guiding him. The Steelers O-line was perhaps the biggest disappointment on Heinz Field in 2020, and while this offseason stretch so far has attempted to beef it up a little, it certainly won’t be impenetrable.

Thirdly, Pittsburgh’s defensive back situation was something very concerning before the draft, and selecting an unspectacular corner late is not exactly the best medicine for such skepticism. Due to there being just a 7th-round pick used to address this entire unit, it felt as if the organization made the decision to slap the dilemma on the backburner, and instead rely on the rest of the already-formidable defensive squad.

None of these observations are intended to downgrade what all the Pittsburgh Steelers can accomplish in 2021. As previously established, I personally feel that they are and should be looked upon as the #1-team in their division until further notice, regardless of how well their counterparts have executed their own offseasons. But there should only be so much hype surrounding the potential of what all failed so horribly last year, especially when rookies are what is being so heavily relied upon to fix everything in the first place.