The Steelers will have some holes to fill come draft day, but these players could have their jobs in question soon.
The Steelers are less than a week from the NFL Draft kicking off round one on Thursday night. It is going to be a stressful and exciting time for the fans of the black and gold. They are heading into the season without Ben Roethlisberger as the starter for the first time in nearly two decades.
There will be tons of interest and speculation going around Pittsburgh about who they will pick. Some of these incoming rookies will have an immediate impact on this team and that could cost some veteran guys their starting spots.
The best player available is the name of the game for this franchise and that could mean a lot of different options at many different positions coming to the Steel City.
Honorable mentions
Chuks Okorafor could lose his starting spot.
Chuks Okorafor just re-signed with the Steelers so many would be shocked if his starting spot was brought into question. He has not been an elite right tackle and the team could always draft a replacement in round one if the night went a certain way.
If there was a top name that dropped to them unexpectantly, then they would be crazy not to select a top tackle prospect.
Terrell Edmunds’s return to Pittsburgh could be eliminated.
Terrell Edmunds is currently a free agent and both he and the club have played a long waiting game in their negotiations. There have been rumblings that Edmunds will likely re-sign with the team on a short-term deal or the Steelers could always sign someone else. Another option would be for them to go and draft his replacement, which could be a real possibility in round two.
Devin Bush could lose his starting spot on the Steelers defense.
Devin Bush had high hopes ever since being drafted tenth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He had some promising qualities and started to transfer them over onto the football field. He, unfortunately, suffered a major knee injury and could be considered slumping now.
He has not been the same player since returning from that injury and that is concerning. This linebacker seemed to have lost a step this past season and that could be disastrous for his career. His game is based on speed and his athleticism, taking that away from his toolkit would lead to poor results.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt in 2021 seems to be the consensus decision by the black and gold brass. He was coming off a major knee injury in quick fashion and that might have led to his poor play. Bush will likely get another chance to prove himself in 2022 as the main starter.
The way this player could lose his spot as the top linebacker in the middle of this defense would be if a certain scenario plays out. If a top linebacker falls to the Steelers in the first or second round that they can’t pass up on, then they could always take them. It all depends on which players get taken at certain points of the draft and this team is not afraid to add talent, especially to a spot with question marks.
Kendrick Green could lose both the starting center and guard spots.
Kendrick Green is a player in the doghouse for many fans that root for the Steelers. He is coming off a rough rookie season and that could lead to a bad sophomore year if he isn’t able to correct his mistakes. He played center all of 2021, but the free agency moves could see him move around.
Mason Cole was signed during the free agency process, and he can play either center or guard spots. The team seems like they really prefer for Green to stay put at center instead of kicking him over to one of the guard spots. It will be open competition for the interior offensive line, but it already seems stacked against him to win a spot, even before the draft starts.
The Steelers also project to steer away from the offensive line, especially early in this draft. They have all their starting spots filled for the most part with different players that can provide depth if they lose the starting battle in training camp. This is another situation of seeing a player slip in the draft and being too good to pass up.
Tyler Linderbaum is a player that has seen his draft stock sink significantly compared to where it was just a month ago. He is now projected to go late in the first round or at some point in the second round. Zion Johnson is another guy that could see some interest and he plays guard. Selecting either of those players could spell disaster for Green.
Levi Wallace or Ahkello Witherspoon could lose their starting spot.
Levi Wallace was a starting cornerback for the Buffalo Bills over the last three and a half seasons. He signed there as an undrafted free agent before he joined the Steelers this spring on a two-year deal. Many expect him to start on the opposite side of Ahkello Witherspoon in 2022.
Witherspoon was a nice trade acquisition last pre-season by Kevin Colbert. This corner had a slow start in Pittsburgh but had a monster conclusion to this past year. He was re-signed after testing the waters of free agency, but neither he nor Wallace can expect their starting spots to be certain.
As of now, their spots do seem to be penciled in, but that could change in an instant. The Steelers have had their eyes on some top cornerbacks in this draft class and could take one. Their early draft choices could be reserved for a cornerback and that could mean one of these two losing their spot.
It is unlikely to happen as the club will probably need to focus on other major holes, but if a top corner falls to them, they will have a hard time passing on them. Adding youth and stability into the cornerback room would be something well needed in Pittsburgh. The club struggles to evaluate and develop talent at the position, but they might need to take a corner if the opportunity arises.
Mitch Trubisky could be dethroned as the Steelers starter by a top draft pick.
Mitch Trubisky has been the talk of the offseason thus far for the Steelers, but that is starting to change. Finding a good replacement for a recently retired future hall of famer is a tough task. Bringing in a veteran option and potentially drafting another player at the position seems to be the course of action that Pittsburgh is taking.
There has been a ton of pre-draft interest both verbally and through their visits by the top brass of the black and gold. They have been to each pro day for every top quarterback and have hosted them for visits as well. All signs point to the club picking a young signal-caller in round one, no matter if fans agree with that or not.
Trubisky signed a very team-friendly deal, but he seems like he will be the starter in 2022 unless there is a major gaffe in his game. Another issue with him being the starter the entire time would be an injury. He has been a great teammate thus far and is trying to get his starting career back on track.
Right now, no one knows if the Steelers will elect to trade up, stand pat, or trade back in the first round. Most people believe that they will pick their top-rated quarterback when it comes their time to select, whenever that may be on night one. Trubisky will have a young quarterback behind him that will challenge for the starting spot every single day in practice.
The Steelers have a lot of needs to address in the draft, but they always try to pick the best player available. There could be some starters on this team that could have their spot put into question depending on how the draft shakes out.