With the Steelers preparing their offseason roster, these five players need to take major steps and develop before the 2022 season begins.
The Steelers season ended on a sour note despite actually making the playoffs, and with so much turnover on the team, the 2022 season will be a unique one. While the team will be focused on filling the roster holes and bringing in some new talent, the players will be focused on developing their games to become better contributors.
Every player should be focused on developing, but some need more than others. Here are the five Steelers that need to grow during the 2022 offseason.
Steelers Dan Moore
One of the bigger surprises of the 2021 draft class, Dan Moore filled in instantly at left tackle and never relinquished the job. The fourth-round pick was expected to take a red-shirt rookie season before injuries and an impressive camp forced him into the starting role. He had his expected troubles, as his technique and functional strength made him a liability early in the season.
As the season progressed though, so did Moore. Unlike fellow rookie Kendrick Green, Moore actually played better the more that he saw the field. He ended the season playing in the average to the above-average range. Despite those developments though, he still needs to be focused on growing in the offseason.
If Moore can add some more strength and get his feet better aligned, there is a real chance that he is the Steelers starting left tackle for the foreseeable future. He wasn’t perfect as a rookie by any means, but he did more than enough to flash legitimate starting potential moving forward. He will need the offseason to work on some things, but if he can grow where he needs to the future should be bright for Moore.
Steelers Tre Norwood
Another former rookie from the 2021 class, Tre Norwood was a surprisingly solid defensive back despite being a seventh-round pick. While a seventh-round pick with little expectations, Norwood actually saw starter snaps as a slot and dime defender. He had his ups and downs, but by season’s end, he was a valuable coverage option in the slot.
The issue with Norwood doesn’t lie in his ability to time routes and cover a receiver. Instead, it’s his physicality at the line that he needs to work on. The Steelers like their slot defenders to be good run defenders akin to Mike Hilton and then Arthur Maulet last season. Norwood isn’t that, as he is a smaller player that struggles when tasked with stopping the run. If he doesn’t make the necessary improvements there, he will once again have to split starting snaps there in 2022.
The slot cornerback position is wide open for the Steelers, and unless Cameron Sutton retakes that role, Norwood should be the early favorite to start there. That said, if he can’t become a more physical defender, he won’t be the only person playing there in 2022. Norwood has a chance to establish himself as a true starter next season. This offseason has to be dedicated to adding some bulk and getting better at stopping the run in order to do so.
Steelers James Pierre
James Pierre was a disappointing player all said and done from this season. The expectations were sky-high for the former undrafted free agent cornerback as he looked dynamic in training camp, but struggles reading deep passes and staying sound to his assignment led to some big plays given up. Still a valuable special teams’ player, Pierre will almost certainly be back next season. The question is what role he will have on the defense if any.
As of now, Pierre and Sutton would be the top two cornerbacks under contract next season. While that will change as the team ideally tries to retain Ahkello Witherspoon or add another capable starter, Pierre will likely still have a role on defense. It will be in a tamer and more reserved role, but there is little reason to think that Pierre doesn’t become the essential fourth cornerback in dime like he was earlier this season.
If he wants any shot at expanding that role or even keeping it past the first few games, Pierre needs to read deep passes better. While not a top athlete, Pierre can still be an effective corner deep as long as he is using his size to make plays. He was rarely getting his head around though, and that caused the young cornerback to be burnt. He still has a chance to grow, but he needs a strong offseason to re-establish himself as a potential starter.
Steelers Kevin Dotson
One of the hyped-up additions from the 2020 draft class was Kevin Dotson, as the guard had a nasty streak that was seen in a limited fashion as a rookie that year. Expectations were high for Dotson, as most expected him to become the best lineman on this team and lead this new line in a new direction. While his second season wasn’t bad, it was far more average than extraordinary, and Dotson failed to live up to the expectations laid out for him.
Part of the issue was his health, as Dotson only played about half of the offensive snaps and ended the season on injured reserve. While being upset over a player getting injured is unfair, his play when healthy wasn’t anything astounding. Again, he wasn’t bad, but that mean streak he showed as a rookie wasn’t there in 2021.
This offseason will be critical for Dotson. Considering the Steelers will almost certainly be adding more new faces to this group, Dotson will have to show the promise that many saw in him as a rookie. If not, his value as a player will fall down into the average category. While there is nothing wrong with getting an average starter in the fourth round, it would be a disappointment if that is all that he became after so much promise in year one.
Steelers Chase Claypool
If there was one player that had huge expectations in 2021, it was Chase Claypool. The rookie exploded on the scene in 2020, as he was a threat from all over the field. His freaky size mixed with great athletic ability made him nearly impossible to cover, and as a result, he was a star for the Steelers. Unfortunately, regression set in and Claypool came screaming back to earth this past season.
While there is still plenty of time for the talented receiver to get back on the right track, he will need to put in some serious work this offseason. Diontae Johnson proved that a bounce-back season is possible, and Claypool will need to have a similar impact in order to get back into the team’s good graces.
It all starts with consistency, as Claypool would seemingly make a great play and then suffer through two mistakes. While a big-play threat will naturally have some variance in his game, he needs to come down with more of his contested passes. As well, Claypool must reestablish himself as a red zone threat again, as he seemed to disappear whenever the Steelers were driving. The sky is the limit for Claypool if he gets back on the right track again, but it will take quite a bit of work. This offseason will be key for Claypool to recapture some of that fire he had as a rookie.
The Steelers are entering a critical offseason as a franchise as they hunt for their next quarterback and look to fill the plethora of holes all over the roster. While adding talent will be a must, there are plenty of players currently on the roster that have a lot of work to do. In particular, these five Steelers are facing a critical offseason in 2022.