4 free agents the Steelers must sign to fill remaining holes

Steelers should sign McKinley

Another position that the Steelers are lacking depth at, edge rusher is extremely thin outside of the talented starters that the team has. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are great starting options, but if either were to get hurt, the defense would be severely lacking a replacement. They did sign Genard Avery, but he is best used in a reserve role only.

A name that could start if needed is former Falcons’ first-round pick Takkarist McKinley. After a promising start to his career where he notched 13 sacks over his first two seasons, McKinley fell out of favor and has been a reserve since. That said, he did play in almost half of the snaps he was available last season for the Browns, and he more than held his own as a pass rusher.

While McKinely has his struggles against the run, he can serve as a situational pass rusher for the Steelers after getting signed. If either of the starters were to go down with an injury, he can step in and at least replace their pass-rushing snaps. The team is sorely missing depth at a vital position, and McKinely can help fill that void. He would have to start the year on the injured reserve, but he could add some pass-rushing help in the early to mid-season after he finishes healing up.