With the Steelers fielding a relatively new roster in 2021, these five players have the long-term potential to be real impact players.
There may be nothing worse in the world of professional sports than to be labeled a bandwagon fan. This shot makes it seem like you only care about players when they are good and teams when they are winning. If, however, you find a player poised to breakout, you can avoid such a label as you liked this player before they were big. The Steelers roster is filled with players that have little name value as of now but could in the very near future. Here are the five Steelers players that you should hop on the bandwagon now before it’s too late.
Steelers Zach Banner
Last year was supposed to be Zach Banners redemption tour. After almost falling out of the league, he rebuilt his body and image and earned the starting right tackle job out of camp. Unfortunately, Banner tore his ACL in the first game and was lost for the year. He now returns on a two-year deal and figures to resume his role at right tackle. While he has garnered some attention amongst the Steelers media, he is a relative unknown in the league.
This figures to change this season, as he should be a 17-game starter (assuming he stays healthy) and figures to fit well in this new offense. With the Steelers focused on establishing a crushing running game, Banner will be able to use his immense size to open lanes for Najee Harris. By year’s end, Banner could very well be in the conversation of one of the better right tackles in the league. He has a great personality to boot, so hopping on the Banner bandwagon now would be a wise move.
Steelers Buddy Johnson
Upon closer inspection, Buddy Johnson just may end up being one of the better picks in this draft class. The athletic linebacker fell to the fourth round due to coverage concerns, but those could be improved upon, and his rush defense is excellent. Even if he never becomes a strong coverage linebacker, the Steelers have gotten the most out of two-down linebackers. One would just have to look at the career of Vince Williams as evidence of this.
No, Johnson won’t be a starter at the beginning of his rookie year, but by as soon as the end of the year or the beginning of the 2022 season, Johnson could make that jump. He lacks the elite instincts that Devin Bush possesses, but he could be a great player to pair with him. He has the speed to play sideline to sideline and should be a factor on special teams early on. Long-term, he can take on the Williams role once his time with the team ends.
This is why hopping on the Johnson bandwagon makes sense right now. He is overshadowed in this class by the flashier options like Harris and Pat Freiermuth who should have a more instantaneous impact, but that doesn’t mean Johnson won’t see the field. He could very well be a starter sooner rather than later, and if the team uses him right, he could be an impact player. With his Steelers career just about to start, now is the best time to hop aboard his bandwagon.
Steelers James Pierre
If you were crafting a list of players set to breakout in 2021, James Pierre may have to be close to the top of it. No one paid him much mind as an undrafted rookie last season, but he impressed in camp. Despite there being no preseason, the team still felt like he did enough to earn a roster spot. That is quite the testament to what the Steelers may have in Pierre, as he showed enough in a limited camp and no actual games to make this roster outright.
Heading into his second year, Pierre is poised to be the other starting outside cornerback when three corners are needed. He will certainly have a tall task ahead of him, as opposing offenses will likely try to pick on him as opposed to Joe Haden. It will likely be sink or swim for Pierre, but if he can rise to the occasion, he could cement himself as a long-term option at cornerback going forward.
He has a lot to prove this year, as he only registered 27 defensive snaps before his playoff snaps in 2020. That isn’t a lot of opportunities to prove oneself, but Pierre has been flashing in the early stages of the offseason as well. He seems poised to make a huge leap, and his name could be cracking some corner lists if he lives up to all of the hype. Of everyone on this list, he could raise his stock the most by season’s end. Hop on his bandwagon now before he becomes a more recognized player in the league.
Steelers Kevin Dotson
Amongst Steelers fans, Kevin Dotson is already a fan favorite given his physicality while blocking and love for the team. The former fourth-round pick is set to start this year at guard, and he is now the most established interior presence on this team after David DeCastro was cut. His name graced the media circuit already this offseason, but it was for a now mostly debunked myth that Dotson was out of shape. He will likely be entering camp with an even bigger chip on his shoulder as a result.
Dotson is set to explode this season, and year’s end, he should be in contention as one of the best guards in the AFC North, if not the NFL. His run blocking was praised coming out of school, and he should be a big reason Harris has success during his rookie year. His pass blocking was surprisingly effective as well. He didn’t give up a sack in the 360 snaps he played as a rookie. For a player who was considered a work in progress as a pass blocker, that is a promising sign.
Don’t be surprised when Dotson becomes the best member of this line early in the 2021 season. His physicality should benefit this now more run-heavy offense, and his pass blocking should maintain his excellence when the team does throw the ball. He has been working extremely hard to better his craft and get stronger this offseason (despite the weight dispute), and that should pay dividends during this upcoming season.
Steelers Cameron Sutton
The oldest player on this list save Banner, Cameron Sutton finally has the chance to prove to the league just how good he is. Not only that, but he will likely be a focal point of this defense as he figures to play on the outside in base defense and move inside to the slot when three corners are on the field. That means he has to be prepared to play two different, albeit similar, positions.
If anyone can do it though, it’s Sutton. One of the biggest praises of his coming out of the draft was his NFL IQ. He is intelligent and can read offenses well, meaning that he should be able to excel at either position. Last season Sutton was arguably the team’s best cover corner, and now he hopes to maintain that level of play while playing almost all of the defensive snaps.
Sutton’s name does have some name recognition in the league, but he is still very much an unknown at this point in his young career. With the move from versatile reserve to now versatile starter though, he will have the chance to play all over the defense and play nearly all of the snaps. Assuming his coverage numbers hold up from last season, he should be one of the team’s most valuable defensive players.
Being labeled a bandwagon fan is never an ideal thing, as it indicates you missed out on a player before they were good. With the Steelers, these five players are still unknown enough to not have huge fanbases yet. A season of solid play will change that though. Hop on their bandwagons now before they take their place as some of the better players on the team.