The Pittsburgh Steelers need lots of help at the linebacker position and these three players would be a perfect fit in free agency this offseason.
Who would have guessed the Pittsburgh Steelers would have gotten such bad play from their off-ball linebackers in 2021. After Devin Bush made a full recovery from the ACL tear he suffered in Week 5 of the 2020 season, the Steelers traded for former Pro Bowl linebacker Joe Schobert during the preseason this past year.
Sadly, their efforts to string together a quality group of linebackers were to no avail. As a unit, Pittsburgh’s linebackers were among the worst in the league as they struggled to contain the pass and were steamrolled by the running game.
Spending elite draft capital is an option to help fill this void, but the Steelers already went that route a few years ago, and the team has many other pressing needs to address. Here are three free-agent linebackers Pittsburgh must aggressively pursue in free agency. (Note: projected contract details courtesy of Pro Football Focus):
Leighton Vander Esch
Age: 25.9
Projected Contract: 3-years, $8.5M/year
Most fans are familiar with this player already, as Leighton Vander Esch was a player the Steelers had their eye on in the 2018 NFL Draft. The former Boise State linebacker was selected 19th overall by the Dallas Cowboys, and there were reports that Pittsburgh was trying to move up to draft him.
Vander Esch has been up and down in his career, and his best season came during his rookie year. While recurring kneck injuries are a concern, Vander Esch is a solid football player when healthy and he has the ability to be a three-down linebacker who can blitz and stop the run.
At 6’4” and 256 pounds, Vander Esch sacrifices some lateral mobility due to his massive frame, but he helps make up for it with stopping power and the ability to go downhill. He also has tons of experience dropping back in zone coverage. He could be the replacement for Vince Williams that Joe Schobert was meant to be.
Kyzir White
Age: 25.8
Projected Contract: 2-years, $4.75M/year
Kyzir White isn’t exactly a household name, but the 25-year-old linebacker had a breakout campaign in 2021. White started all 17 games for the Los Angeles Chargers this year and graded out as the 21st-best linebacker in the NFL this year, according to Pro Football Focus.
At 6’2” and 218 pounds, the former college safety from West Virginia has proven to make a successful transition to linebacker in the NFL. While he doesn’t have a lot of mass to his frame to take on blocks, he’s slippery as a pass rusher from the middle and has excellent movement skills in coverage.
In a sense, White is turning out to be the player the Steelers were hoping to get from Devin Bush, and there are no shortage of big plays from the Chargers linebacker. In 2021, White recorded 144 total tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 4 quarterback hits, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions, according to Pro Football Reference.
White and Bush would play much of the same role for Pittsburgh, but if Bush shows improvement in his final season under contract, the Steelers could play these two linebackers at the same time — particularly on passing downs. Joe Schobert should be an offseason cut regardless, due to his unreasonably high cap hit next year.
Josey Jewell
Age: 27.0
Projected Contract: 1-year, $6M
Josey Jewell is never going to wow anyone with his speed or athletic traits, but he has been one of the more dependable linebackers in the NFL when healthy. Jewell has made strides in each season since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2018. In 2020, he graded out as the 13th-best linebacker among 83 qualifying players, according to PFF.
Sadly, Jewell was injured just 2 games into the 2021 season but he was off to a terrific start. The Broncos linebacker has the ability to be an every-down player for the Steelers. Though athletic limitations could get in the way, Jewell excels in coverage — particularly in zone.
After just turning 27 years old, Jewell still has plenty left in the tank and his best years should still be ahead of him. Jewell would come at a very affordable cost, and while he isn’t going to be a star player for Pittsburgh, he could give the Steelers at least one quality option at the linebacker position in 2022.
Eventually, the Steelers are probably going to need at least two good off-ball linebackers to help get their defense back on track, and the team is holding out hope that Devin Bush could still be one of them. Still, with as poor as the LB play was last season and the fact that Schobert will almost certainly be released, Pittsburgh needs to aggressively pursue one of these three players in free agency.