3 Steelers who have blown away early expectations in 2021

Steelers EDGE Melvin Ingram

I was a huge fan of the Melvin Ingram signing earlier this summer. Though he dealt with injuries for most of the 2020 season, I really had no idea why he lasted on the market as long as he did.

Though Ingram’s solid defensive play hasn’t always translated to great production, I was hopeful that he would give the Steelers some much-needed depth this year. He has done that and more through the first two games of the 2021 season.

In addition to playing more snaps than breakout candidate, Alex Highsmith, Ingram has generated an immense amount of pressure on the quarterback and looks much like the Pro Bowl player we remember seeing for the Chargers.

Ingram has already recorded a sack to go with 2 tackles for a loss, 4 quarterback hits, and 7 pressures in just his first 111 snaps of the 2021 season, according to Pro Football Reference. He is going to greatly outplay the contract he signed this year if he stays healthy.

The Steelers have other players who will have a chance to join this list, but these three guys have gone above and beyond what we’ve expected them to early in the season. All three will play pivotal roles for Pittsburgh this year.