4 Steelers set to breakout during the 2021 NFL season

Steelers WR Chase Claypool

The Steelers landed a somewhat surprising stud in the draft last year when they got Chase Claypool in the second round. A physical freak, Claypool fell to the second due to being misused in Notre Dame’s offense and the general depth that the whole class had. His expectations were limited during his rookie season, but he quickly established himself as a top target for the team.

The issue was, his play seemingly fell off as the season progressed. This was for a variety of reasons, ranging from the rookie wall, the team’s emphasis on the short passing game as opposed to him being more of a vertical threat, and teams having more film on him to counteract him. Heading into 2021, Claypool figures to see the most receiving snaps outside of maybe J.J. Smith-Schuster, and he should cement himself as a top receiver in the league.

With an innovative offense being put in place, the sky is the limit for Claypool entering his second season. While he needs to become more consistent, there is little reason to believe that he won’t be the Steelers’ top threat after this season. He was impressive as a rookie, and while teams will be looking to stop him, now is the time for him to prove that he is truly elite. His rookie seasoning was promising, but a dominant second year could lead to him being considered one of the top players at his position past this year.

The Steelers have quite a few new faces set to take on a more significant role in 2021. Of those players, these four seemed primed to breakout. These players haven’t been bad by any means, but their role and expectations for the team should be sky-high this year. Don’t be surprised to hear their names amongst the teams’ best after this season.