While much has been said about the Steelers’ most pressing needs, these three positions are underrated ones that the team needs to address in 2022.
The Steelers enter the 2022 offseason with a lot of work to do. Their roster is filled with holes and their resources to retool aren’t as vast as many expect. While positions like quarterback and linebacker are the focus for most, there are some underrated positions that need to be addressed in 2022.
Here are three under-the-radar positions of need for the Steelers this offseason.
Steelers need an edge
Edge rusher, on paper, should be one of the Steelers’ best positions in terms of who is starting there in 2022. T.J. Watt just took home the defensive player of the year award while Alex Highsmith quietly had a strong second season for the team in 2021. Both are more than capable starters and can be counted on to make big plays.
Behind them though, unfortunately, is a bunch of question marks. While Taco Charlton held his own as a reserve, he is a pending free agent that may not be brought back. Even if he is, the team could easily upgrade over him. Derrek Tuszka’s play heated up down the stretch, but once again, he is an easily replaced backup. Both were fine as rotational pieces, but their depth was a mess once a single injury occurred.
Thus, finding a capable backup at edge rusher is vitally important in 2022. The Steelers thought that they had that in Melvin Ingram this season, but as we all know that didn’t pan out as expected. Edge rusher once again tops the list as a sneaky need for this team. Adding a capable reserve is a must in 2022.