The Steelers have quite a few stars getting ready to suit up for them in 2021, and these six have the best odds of making the Pro Bowl.
While the Pro Bowl is quickly becoming a popularity contest as much as a talent-based evaluation, it is still an accomplishment to get voted into the game. The Steelers have been mainstays over the past decade, regularly providing offensive and defensive players to participate in the event. This year should be no different even if the team is facing some regression from last season. Here are the six Steelers with the best odds of making the Pro Bowl.
Steelers Devin Bush
Devin Bush’s sophomore season was cut short last year, which was honestly a shame considering the pace he was on as a player. While he still had some struggles in processing, he seemed to be more comfortable in coverage and as a run defender. The injury was a setback, but he seems poised to have a major rebound season in 2021. Expect him to make that jump from a good player to one that was worth trading up for into the top ten of the draft.
In all honesty, expect a season similar to fellow 2019 draftee Devin White. White was electric last year, racking up 140 tackles and nine sacks. While Bush may be less of a threat to blitz, he seems to be better in coverage overall (although White is no slouch in that department either). The competition at off-ball linebacker isn’t exactly deep in the AFC either, meaning that a solid jump in production could launch Bush into the Pro Bowl conversation. He is set to break out this year, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he gets voted into his first Pro Bowl as a result.
Steelers Chase Claypool
While everyone was excited for Chase Claypool as a rookie, few expected him to be as successful as he was in year one. He did everything well, from burning defenses deep, making plays after the catch, and serving as a big endzone threat. Heading into year two, the expectations are sky high for Claypool as he figures to be the starter for the Steelers from week one.
There is one issue with projecting such a jump for him. Ben Roethlisberger is set to be the starting quarterback, and while he is clearly the best option currently on the roster, his deep ball was an issue last year. Considering Claypool can do a lot of damage as a deep threat, not having a capable passer could inhibit his overall stats. That said, the expectation should be that Claypool becomes a top-tier receiver, and he will have to be more than just a deep threat to do that.
With a full off-season under his belt and a talented group of receivers around him to keep the coverage off of him, expect Claypool to put up some great stats in 2021. Of all of the receivers, he has the best Pro Bowl odds given the potential he has to develop into an elite receiver. The AFC is filled with great receivers, so his path certainly won’t be easy, but Claypool should be in the conversation of one of the receivers representing the AFC in 2022.
Steelers Stephon Tuitt
When thinking of the defensive line and the Steelers, the first Pro Bowl name that comes up is Cameron Heyward. While Heyward is certainly a stalwart on the line, the best player was Stephon Tuitt last season. That isn’t a knock on Heyward or Alualu either but is instead just proof of how great Tuitt was last season.
He posted a career-high number of sacks last season with 11, but that doesn’t tell half of the tape. He took over at times during games and was nearly unblockable. While he benefited from the talent of the entire line, he was consistently seen shoving his way through opposing lines and wreaking havoc in the backfield. Better yet, he just turned 28, meaning that he has a few more years left in the prime of his career to better these stats.
The biggest question with him is his health, as last season was by far his healthiest. That said, what may be the biggest challenge to get over is him being listed as a defensive end. Since 4-3 teams list edge rushers as their ends, Tuitt will be overshadowed by players who essentially play a different position than he does. If the Pro Bowl begins to recognize the difference, then Tuitt should instantly be recognized as a Pro Bowl player. If the league continues to categorize players as they have though, he may continue to go unrecognized despite his dominant play.
Steelers Najee Harris
While a rookie playing in the Pro Bowl isn’t an impossible idea, it certainly doesn’t happen often. This is due to the simple fact that all rookies have some sort of level of transition that they have to make to the pros. Of all positions though, running back is arguably the easiest to make the move, as schemes remain mostly the same and while they face tougher defenses, they typically run behind better pro offensive lines.
This makes Najee Harris one of the favorite rookies to end his first season with a Pro Bowl bid. While the AFC has plenty of deserving backs that will the favorite over him early on, Harris benefits from being on a team with little running back competition, and his status as a back that can also serve as a receiver makes him an intriguing threat from multiple aspects as a rookie.
While the Steelers line could hold him back, expect Harris to produce as a rookie (he better, given his first-round status). If he exceeds some of the expectations laid out for him, he could make the jump to Pro Bowler as early as year one. With the running back position always being an injury-filled one, a top back could see their Pro Bowl hopes dashed by a badly times injury. As well, Harris could simply be the full package and be worthy of making the game on his own accolades. Regardless, he should be one of the odds-on favorite rookies to make the Pro Bowl by the end of the season.
Steelers Minkah Fitzpatrick
Of the final two names on this list, both should be locks to make the Pro Bowl (assuming injury doesn’t derail their season). While it would be harder to pick the more at risk of the two, Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t quite to the status of the Steelers player with the best Pro Bowl odds. Even with his position being less crowded than edge rusher/outside linebacker, Fitzpatrick is still more at risk for not making the Pro Bowl here.
That isn’t any sort of an inditement on Fitzpatrick though, as he has developed into one of the top pure free safeties in the league. He is sticky in coverage and has a natural ball-hawking tendency to pick off his fair share of passes. While he is only entering his third year with the Steelers, there is a real argument to be made that he is already the best in the league at free safety.
Outside of injuries, the only way Fitzpatrick could see his chances slip is if the team decides to use him around the secondary and not just as a pure free safety. While Fitzpatrick certainly has the talent to be successful doing that, multi-position players like that tend to struggle with individual stats as they have so much riding on them. That scenario doesn’t seem completely likely right now though, so expect Fitzpatrick to get another Pro Bowl nod by the end of the season.
Steelers T.J. Watt
Easily the safest name to include in potential Steelers Pro Bowlers, T.J. Watt has become the best edge rusher in the NFL and has arguably become the best defender in the league not named Aaron Donald. Watt is a monster as a pass rusher and run stopper and can wreak havoc with interceptions and forced fumbles. There is little he can’t do, and he is the face of this talented defense.
Even with his counterpart in Bud Dupree getting a big-money deal elsewhere, Watt should still be in line for another big season and another Pro Bowl nod. There is nothing that Watt can’t do, and even if his numbers regress slightly, it won’t be enough to take his name out of the running. As well, and essentially the opposite of Tuitt, since the NFL classifies Watt as an outside linebacker, his competition to make the Pro Bowl isn’t fierce.
Even if he was listed as a defensive end, he would still be the favorite to make it to the Pro Bowl this year. The only thing that could hold him back is an injury, and frankly, if he suffered a significant one, the entire defense would feel it. He is the lynchpin on defense for the Steelers and expects his dominant play to lead to yet another Pro Bowl berth.
While the Steelers roster may regress slightly, they will still be fielding players worthy of making it to the Pro Bowl. While the roster is full of hopefuls, these six seem like the most likely given their name status and the potential for big seasons that they could have. Don’t be surprised to hear these names thrown around the Pro Bowl conversation once the voting begins this season.