Every rookie has to improve upon their game if they want to make it as a pro, and these are the potential aspects of the game that every Steelers rookie may struggle with.
No matter where a player is drafted, there will be some sort of a curve as to what they will have to improve upon to be a successful pro player. While the Steelers rookies will all see various different amounts of playing time, each will have their share of struggles in year one.
This in no way means that these players will be doomed with these struggles for their entire career, but for at least 2021 these issues will likely present themselves whenever one of these rookies sees the field. Here are the areas each Steelers rookie will likely struggle with in 2021:
Steelers Pressley Harvin
Problem: Punting Consistency
Already a fan favorite for the Steelers, Pressley Harvin reportedly had a good OTA session and will look to carry that momentum into camp. While being a drafted specialist makes him a roster favorite, Jordan Berry is an established veteran that won’t go away quietly. As well, the Steelers have seen drafted specialists not make the roster before (looking at you Colin Holba). He has a strong leg, as evidenced by his 48-yard average last season, but where he needs to make some strides is his consistency.
While a 48-yard average is great, Harvin had a range of a 41.3-to-51.3-yard average over the course of his final college season. A ten-yard average swing won’t cut it in the NFL, as a bad punting performance can quickly swing the tide of a game.
Harvin has a strong leg, no one is denying that. Now, he needs to focus on consistently punting well and placing the ball where it needs to go, not just booting it as far as it can go. Assuming he makes the roster, he will need to build some level of consistency before the team can fully trust him.
Steelers Tre Norwood
Problem: Competition
On paper, there isn’t a lot to like about Tre Norwood. While hyped as a versatile defender, his lack of coverage skills point to him being more of a safety only, and while his five interceptions look impressive, they were more him being in the right place at the right time as opposed to him being a skilled ball-hawk. While him being a draft pick is a slight edge over some of the competition, the slot cornerback/backup-free safety role is still wide open.
While the reports on him from OTAs were solid, a similar style of player in Shakur Brown was also making some noise. Considering he is a more natural slot corner, he likely has a slight edge over Norwood despite being an undrafted player. Lamont Wade is another player making an early impression on the team, as his style and size are reminiscent of Mike Hilton.
The Steelers could look at a free agent to help here as well. They already brought in Arthur Maulet as a hybrid free safety/slot defender, and the team visited with Malik Hooker recently as well. This is a crowded position already which hurts Norwood’s chances of making the roster. The team may not be done adding here either, which will only make his chances that much more difficult.
Steelers Quincy Roche
Problem: Run Defense
While Norwood as a pick was a bit puzzling, Quincy Roche was just the opposite. The former Temple and Miami product is quite the technician as a pass rusher despite not being an elite athlete. His size is a little on the smaller size, which makes him a more natural fit in a 3-4 defense as an edge/outside linebacker. Unfortunately, his lack of size may be what causes most of his year one struggles.
Given his shorter stature and lighter frame, it will be a challenge for Roche to hold up against pro-level offensive tackles in the run game. Former Steelers outside linebacker Bud Dupree had no such issue, as his bigger frame allowed him to anchor on run plays and power through tackles. Even when his pass-rushing skills were in question, Dupree was still a good run defender for this team.
While the team wants their edge rushers to be sack artists first and foremost, being able to hold up against the run is still important. While no one is expecting Roche to be a huge contributor in year one (his ceiling is as a number three reserve player), he can increase his playing time by being both a good pass rusher and decent run stopper. More than likely, he will need a full offseason to add some mass before becoming a truly good run defender, but for now, if he wants to see significant snaps, improving his run defense is key.
Steelers Isaiahh Loudermilk
Problem: Where to play him
The Steelers selection of Isaiahh Loudermilk was a curious one on draft day. Even more puzzling is just how he is going to factor into the defense early on. One of the biggest draws for him was his height, as he was one of the few 6’6 defensive linemen in this draft. He trimmed down to 274 for his athletic testing though, and his play mimics more of a nose tackle than anything else.
As it stands right now, Loudermilk seems like a potential defensive end. While his weight is closer to an edge rusher, his skills and horrible athleticism make him a lineman only. The issue is then, he will need to add about 15 pounds in order to get his playing weight closer to 290. That will likely lead to even worse athleticism, as no one gets faster or more agile by adding weight. This could limit his effectiveness as an end, especially in an era where these ends are expected to be key contributors.
While a lot of athleticism concerns could be put to rest by a move to nose tackle, his height makes him a bad fit there. His profile and style of play don’t really have a great fit for the Steelers right now. This won’t matter much as a rookie, as he is likely to be the gameday inactive each week, but if he wants to earn a role with the team eventually, he will need to settle into a position that suits him the best.
Steelers Buddy Johnson
Problem: Pass Coverage
To this point in the list, this is probably the easiest problem area to point out for a rookie. Buddy Johnson is a lot of things: he is athletic, reacts well, and can stop the run. The issue is that his coverage skills aren’t great for an athletic linebacker. While he will benefit from never having to be just a pure coverage linebacker, if he ever wants to start he will need to get better in this category.
The best thing for Johnson is that the Steelers already have Devin Bush to be their coverage linebacker. Because of this, Johnson will not be expected to be the best player in man or zone coverage when sharing the field with Bush. The team has seen Vince Williams excel in that role in recent seasons, as he can focus on stopping the run and disrupting offenses while Bush uses his athleticism to make plays in the passing game.
While coverage won’t have to be his calling card, being serviceable in that department could make him a more natural starter. The team appears to be ready to use a rotation at the second linebacker spot this year, as no option besides Bush screams top-end starter. If Johnson can develop in the passing game, he could take on the role full-time and the team would have to focus less on finding a capable rotation for the latter inside linebacker spot.
Steelers Dan Moore
Problem: Playing time
Dan Moore was quietly one of the better picks of the draft for the Steelers. He was a starter in the SEC, has great size and athleticism, and was a good starter for Texas A&M over the years. He has all the traits to be a good developmental tackle for the team, and he has the flexibility to play on both the left and right sides of the line.
No, Moore won’t be a starter his rookie season more than likely, and that will be the main issue with his development. Chukwuma Okorafor and Zach Banner will man the starting roles while Joe Haeg was signed to be the swing tackle/extra offensive lineman. This leaves Moore as the likely inactive each week. With a lot of turnover expected at the tackle position next season (Okorafor is a free agent and Haeg is a likely cut), Moore won’t have much of an opportunity to develop.
This means next year the team will likely have to make another significant investment in a tackle. Now, injuries are always on the table, and Moore could become an injury starter if either of the starters is lost for a stretch, but outside of that his playing time will be limited. He needs an opportunity to show that he can at least eventually start. That may not happen during his rookie season.
Steelers Kendrick Green
Problem: Size
I have two main issues with the Kendrick Green pick for the Steelers. The one likely to be alleviated early on is the fact that he mostly played guard at Illinois. This means he will have to make the full-time switch to center during his rookie season, not an impossible task but certainly not an easy one. The real struggle for Green is his size, or more specifically, his lack of size.
Green is on the shorter side being under 6’2, and his arm span isn’t great. For starters, this really limits him to being a center at the next level, so if he can’t make that transition, he may not have a home in the NFL. As well, his shorter arms and statue don’t figure to help him as a pass protector. He can’t always make the first contact with defenders as a result, and it can lead to lost pass-rushing reps.
While Green benefits from a physical play style and good athleticism, his physical height will have to be something that he overcomes. It obviously isn’t something that he can change from this point on, so learning how to still be an effective lineman despite being smaller will be a must. If he can’t get past this size issue, it will be hard for him to ever ascend past a rotational interior lineman.
Steelers Pat Freiermuth
Problem: Pro Transition
Pat Freiermuth was a good value pick in the second round of the draft, and long-term he should be a starter as an all-around tight end. While his future looks promising, tight ends almost always have a slow development once they get to the pros. Despite being highly touted, a lot of the top tight ends had mediocre rookie seasons. To expect anything different with Freiermuth, especially with Eric Ebron starting, would be a mistake.
A slow start to his career isn’t that big of a deal, as it is something he can improve upon naturally. The issue is, what happens when Ebron leaves next season. If Freiermuth was more of a slower development his rookie year, will the Steelers be ready to make him the starter? Will they have much of a choice?
If Freiermuth only plays limited snaps in year one and doesn’t look great yet, the team may be forced to look for another veteran to play alongside him. Again, this isn’t the end of the world, but for a team that finally made a significant investment in a tight end, it would be a disappointment. Ideally, Freiermuth looks serviceable in a limited role year one, but if that transition is really a struggle for him, the team may have to supplement him next season.
Steelers Najee Harris
Problem: Offensive Line
Out of every Steelers draft pick, Najee Harris has the highest expectations. The former Alabama running back has great size, agility, and pass-catching ability making him a traditional bell-cow back. While he will start this season, there isn’t any guarantee that he suddenly transforms this rushing attack. Of course, this unit will be better than last year, but the real question is how much better?
A lot of this stems from the line playing in front of Harris. While he is a talented back, he also greatly benefited from playing behind the best line in college football. He won’t have that luxury with the Steelers, as this is a line in flux after greatly struggling in run blocking last year. Harris will need to be able to do a lot on his own this season, and that may lead to a lesser impact than many are expecting.
This doesn’t mean that Harris will flop during his rookie season, but it could mean he has some less than impressive stats. Considering he isn’t a speedy back; his overall average rush may be brought down as he won’t have some long rushers to counteract stops behind the line of scrimmage. He should still improve this rushing unit in year one, but don’t be surprised if he struggles more than expected as he has to do a lot of producing on his own with little help from the line.
The Steelers will hope to get a good bit of production from their rookie class in 2021. While some will play more than others, each will hope to carve out a role as a rookie. That said, don’t be surprised to see a typical level of a rookie struggle this year. Each rookie has some issues that they will need to resolve if they want to make a significant impact on the team.