The Steelers added a lot of talent in the draft but allowed these players to stay out of hot water with the results.
The Steelers were able to get a lot done in a very busy offseason for the franchise. They were in a state of flux and trying to find answers with a bunch of free agents scheduled to hit the open market and Ben Roethlisberger retiring. The work has been done and the club did a nice job of filling holes and creating a competitive roster.
Despite these additions, they were not able to improve on some positions of need. You only have so much money to spend in free agency and so many draft picks to select from. Not every single area of need can be filled so addressing the most pressing issues is what teams must do during the offseason.
The black and gold were able to find a starting-caliber player for each position before the draft, which was a huge accomplishment. That allowed them to go into the annual event with the thought of getting more competition for different spots across the roster. The draft board fell a certain way and they got a nice haul of players through the event.
Devin Bush’s starting spot on the Steelers is safe
Devin Bush has been getting a ton of scrutiny, but he will have one last shot as the Steelers top middle linebacker. He has been working hard to recover his career after a knee injury. Now he will get his last shot with the team after they declined his fifth-year option.
Some analysts thought the team might have drafted a linebacker high if one fell to them. That did not really formulate, and the team went with other positions. They are betting on Bush to have a big comeback year with the hope of extending him if 2022 pays off for both sides.
The Steelers backup running backs have small competition to make the team
Many do not imagine depth at the running back position to be a major need. Najee Harris is the main back and was able to handle most of the carries last season without many issues. The main problem with that will be keeping his longevity in the league long with how much he is being used in the offense.
The backups behind him last year are returning and they have not been up to snuff. Benny Snell Jr. has not been a difference-maker since he got to Pittsburgh. Anthony McFarland Jr. has been an even bigger disappointment with the number of injuries and lack of special teams’ prowess.
Snell does provide special teams ability and will probably make the final roster because of it. The backup position has still been neglected after the draft and that could lead to a repeat of what happened last year. There were only a couple of challengers brought in to challenge for a roster spot through undrafted free agency.
Mataeo Durant seems to have the best chance out of any running back that was signed after the event to push to make this team. He had a solid career at Duke and has shown the ability to run the ball. The team needs someone that has good vision and can give Harris a break from running for a handful of snaps per game.
The starting offensive line will face no challenges from the draft
The offensive line play for the Steelers has been steadily declining over the past couple of seasons before it fell off a cliff in 2021. They were one of the worst units in football with very little experience across each starting spot. They stayed young throughout this offseason, but it has provided some hope.
Leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, many thought this group in the trenches could get a lot of attention. Free agency happened and people started to notice that maybe the offensive line could be a later round option or be ignored entirely. They filled starting holes and found competition at other spots as well during free agency.
The draft came and went without the Steelers taking a single lineman in the event. It showed the level of comfort that the team has in what they did in free agency and how their draft board landed. They saw other needs as being more pressing and that allowed for these starters to keep their jobs mostly secure.
Both starting tackles from last year will return with the potential of two others being the returning starters as well. The team upgraded at right guard and provided competition for the left guard and center spots as well. They are a young front that gained a lot of experience last season with the possibility of being improved in 2022.
Terrell Edmunds has secured his starting spot for 2022
Terrell Edmunds is the scapegoat for many of the defense’s flaws is what fans like to lean into. Yes, he was over-drafted, everyone knows that, but he has developed into a reliable starting safety for this team. There are not too many better options at the strong safety position in the NFL.
Free agency was the name of the game for Edmunds and the Steelers just over a month ago. They both decided to see what was out there and circle back to one another when the appropriate time came. That saga ended with both parties agreeing to a one-year deal that allows both to hopefully reach a long-term agreement.
This player did not have his fifth-year option picked up and the Steelers were able to bring him back on the cheap. It is a bargain deal for a starting safety in this league, especially with the ability and youth that this player brings along with him. Both he and Minkah Fitzpatrick have been one of the better and more consistent tandems in the league for a couple of seasons.
This was a big re-signing right before the draft as it allowed the club to be more flexible. They didn’t have to overdraft a safety again and could see where players landed. It looked like the black and gold wanted to still draft a safety high early in the draft, but that didn’t happen, and Edmunds is the cemented starter for at least another season.
Both starting cornerbacks will face little competition since the draft’s conclusion
It was notably a busy free agency period for the Steelers and they were able to address both starting cornerback spots during this time. These were two huge gets as they added two veteran players with a lot of starting experience for cheap. Considering the going rate for young starting corners in free agency, both Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace were bargains.
They both signed with the franchise after contemplating other offers sitting for them in the open market. Wallace joined the defense after starting for his first three and a half years in the league on one of the better defenses in Buffalo. Witherspoon comes back after having a great stretch run with Pittsburgh in 2021. He was their best corner during that time and looked to be settling in nicely.
These were two great moves by Kevin Colbert, and it allowed the team to focus on other needs in the draft. Many still thought that if a cornerback fell to the club with their first-round pick that they might select one. That was a popular position to select in the first round and the team missed out on them.
That allowed for the position to be turned away from in the draft entirely and gave these starters cemented spots for the defense. Both Wallace and Witherspoon will be the starting outside corners on day one and will likely keep those jobs for this season. There is little competition against them as the draft did not work in the Steelers favor to select this position.
The Steelers were able to plug more holes across their roster but that also allowed for other positions to get neglected. These players and positional groups benefited the most from the 2022 NFL Draft outcome.