Steelers positional grades are mostly disappointing for the 2021 season
By Tommy Jaggi
Steelers defensive line: B
This was a very difficult group to assess. If we are just talking about the interior defensive line, then this grade would have been much worse. However, the edge defenders make up half of the starting defensive line, and they really boosted the otherwise pedestrian grade here.
It comes down to this: the Steelers have two elite players on the defensive line with DT Cameron Heyward and EDGE T.J. Watt. Outside of these two, the depth is incredibly weak. While Alex Highsmith and Chris Wormley were solid contributors in 2021, they don’t make up for the awful play that the rest of this unit provided — particularly when it came to stopping the run.
The loss of both Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu really hurt the defensive line in 2021, as the Steelers went from one of the better run-defending teams in the NFL to the very worst in just one year. If not for the once again spectacular play of Watt and Heyward, this might have been the worst defensive line in the NFL this year.
Even with all of this, I still give the Steelers a ‘B’ grade for churning out two All-Pro defenders and for providing a consistent and impressive pass rush. This group should be much stronger next season if Tuitt and Alualu both return.