3 biggest disappointments from Steelers at the NFL trade deadline

2. Steelers not acquiring DL/OLB depth

Despite the Steelers currently sitting in a playoff position, the team is not without holes. Depth, particularly on the front seven on defense is severely lacking. After trading away Melvin Ingram, losing Tyson Alualu to a season-ending injury, and the unclear return date of Stephon Tuitt from Injured Reserve, the Steelers could’ve used some reinforcements.

The team could still look to free agency to gain some depth, however, the trade deadline was a great opportunity to reinforce the strength of this team with some much-needed depth. While the team does have T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Cameron Heyward anchoring the pass rush and run defense, there isn’t much in the way of depth right now.

The team is currently relying on the likes of Taco Charlton, Chris Wormley, Isaiah Buggs, Isaiahh Loudermilk, and others. While many of these players have impressed when given the opportunity, many are inexperienced, which is why the team needs to bring in at least one additional player for the rotation.

Clelin Ferrell, L.J. Collier, Steve McLendon, and more represent potential trade targets the Steelers could have acquired. While it’s possible Pittsburgh checked in on these players and didn’t like the asking price, it would’ve benefitted the team to trade for one of these players, or someone else who was available, in order to make sure they had adequate depth on the front seven.