The Steelers were able to fill their starting spots with some quality players, but some positions still have question marks.
The Steelers entered this offseason with a new look that many did not know how would turn out. The team finally had a bunch of cap space to spend in free agency and holes to fill across many areas of the roster. Those rumors were the talk of the town for a while as things led up to free agency and then eventually the draft.
The most obvious hole was at quarterback with Ben Roethlisberger announcing his retirement earlier in the offseason. That position is the most important in football and the team recognized that early on. They not only added a veteran in free agency, but they also selected Kenny Pickett with their top choice in the draft.
Other areas of focus were trying to retool the offensive line on the fly. They have signed options to start across the trenches and compete for depth roles as well. That was mostly done in free agency as the club secured all starting spots during that signing period.
The draft is always a spectacle for this franchise as it is normally the focus of adding new players into the fold. It was even more magnified this year with how much interest the black and gold showed in the incoming rookie quarterback class.
They were able to address some other needs in the draft that they did not in free agency. They got a younger defensive lineman and some wide receivers to hopefully replace those that departed the team earlier in the offseason. Kevin Colbert did well during his final offseason as General Manager, but there are still currently some question marks on the roster.
Backup running back is still a question mark for the Steelers
Many might not think of this role on a team to be important, but it is. Najee Harris rarely got any breaks because the backs behind him are just not that good and do not provide any complementary qualities to the run game. The team neglected to address the position in both the draft and free agency, so it looks like Harris will not get breaks anytime soon.
Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr. are still on the roster, but they have not been great since being drafted. Snell provides more of a power-back ability, but he has not been able to consistently break tackles and display vision on the field. McFarland has not been able to stay healthy but does provide a speed and catching ability that could benefit Harris’s game.
Getting their star running back off the field and taking some wear and tear off his body is very important. The position does not have a long shelf life in today’s NFL and the Steelers should try to preserve Harris’s career as much as possible. Getting McFarland established in the league or someone else on the roster must be what the club hopes to do in 2022.
They did sign some interesting backs in the undrafted free agency period last weekend so that could always prove to be something to watch. The team has not done enough to give more quality in this position group for a while now and their depth is hurting because of that. This will be something to watch throughout the pre-season to see who wins these last couple of spots on the roster.
The Steelers have no strong safeties locked onto this team beyond this season
Safety might seem like a position that is set for a while, but it is only cemented for the 2022 season. The Steelers did a good job of keeping talent on the roster and adding some players to the position as well. This is a steady and talented group that has some depth behind it finally.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is coming back and is one of the best safeties in the NFL, which will lead to a nice pay raise soon. The biggest question mark heading into the offseason was if Terrell Edmunds would be back or not. He did eventually re-sign with the team after testing the waters of free agency for some time.
The draft was still a place where some thought maybe a safety would be selected. Edmunds was only signed to a one-year deal and that could spell disaster for the next offseason. The Steelers needed to find a long-term answer, but the draft board did not fall in their favor, so they bypassed the position entirely.
The club did sign veteran safety, Damontae Kazee a little after the draft and he only strengthens the safety position for this team. He can play in different roles across the secondary and is a nice pick up on a cheap one-year deal. The strong safety position could lead to concerns in another year if the team can’t figure out a long-term answer.
Depth at the edge position has been mostly neglected this offseason
The edge position, otherwise known as outside linebacker, is set when it comes to the starters for this team. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are the two main guys at the position and were a good duo in 2021. The depth behind them became a problem last year as Watt missed some time due to injury.
Melvin Ingram was the big name brought onto the team late last offseason and seemed like a good option. He did not like his role and was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs halfway through the year. That left a giant hole for the position in terms of depth.
Now the Steelers head into 2022 with mostly the same situation intact. They have not added much in free agency besides signing Genard Avery. He is a depth player that really has not done much in the NFL since his rookie season, which seemed like a promising young career then.
This will be a major area of focus as the depth is thin to say the least. Perhaps the club still has plans of bringing another free agent into the fold and that seems to be a wise decision. They need proven players that can jump onto the field and impact the game in a positive light when Watt or Highsmith need a breather.
Offensive line holds some questions despite adding in free agency
The offensive line was the focus, besides quarterback, for the Steelers heading into the offseason. Many knew that the team had to retool the front after coming off an abysmal 2021 season. There were some promising players, but there was mostly disappointment for this front.
Both James Daniels and Mason Cole were brought in to win starting jobs across the offensive trenches for the Steelers. They signed some nice deals that got them to the Steel City. Daniels is a plug-and-play quality starter at guard, while Cole will challenge for a starting spot. It will be a competition for the starting guard and center positions during the pre-season.
Cole will battle with Kendrick Green and Kevin Dotson for the opposite starting guard spot and starting center position. It seems like Dotson should have the starting guard spot secure, but he could always lose it. That will be decided in camp and Chuks Okorafor was brought back to be the starting right tackle.
Did the team do enough to right the ship with the offensive line? That is the question that will be answered soon. It could determine the team’s success for the upcoming season and hopefully, it will prove to be a positive impact, or this will be another major need around this time next year again.
The Steelers have done a good job of addressing most of their needs throughout the offseason. They do still have some concerns across this roster since the draft concluded.