Grading the Pittsburgh Steelers projected starting defense in 2021

Speical Teams: Defense

Punter – Pressley Harvin III – B- – The Steelers have, obviously, had enough of Jordan Berry’s inconsistency. A 7th Rd pick in the 2021 Draft, Harvin won the Ray Guy Award in 2020 as the top college punter. He had 210 punts. For 9396 yards at a 44.7 yard average on his career for the Gators. He needs to work on his hang time consistency but is good with punt placement and a very effective coffin corner kicker.

Kickoffs – Chris Boswell – C- – On 73 kickoffs Boswell had 44 touchbacks for a 60.3% average placing him 22nd in the league.

Conclusion

I researched and wrote these articles because I was starting to buy the overwhelmingly negative coverage on the Steelers provided by the Steeler trolls at the NFL Network and ESPN. Having evaluated both the offense and defense, I think they’re trippin’.

The Steelers brass have put together an incredible defensive roster. The one glaring weakness is at nickelback but if it proves to be a problem it should become obvious before the season starts. I’m thinking Kevin Colbert will act appropriately.

The addition of three-time Pro Bowl linebacker, Melvin Ingram, adds a strong veteran presence to the LB room. His $4 million, one-year, contract makes it clear he is not expected to start, which is good considering his recent injuries.

Overall Defense Grade: A