One area to improve for each member of Steelers 2021 draft class

Steelers Loudermilk

Issue: Pass Rush Moves

The other surprise pick from the 2021 draft class, Isaiahh Loudermilk didn’t look like much coming out of college. He had a weird size due to him shedding weight for the combine (where he still performed poorly) and he wasn’t a huge impact player in college. The Steelers surprised everyone though and traded up for him in the fifth round, and the early results were promising.

As a run defender, Loudermilk flashed as a rookie. This was what he excelled at in college, so it made sense. While his strength was questionable at times, he was reportedly put on some weight which should help him hold up against stronger linemen. That leaves his biggest area of focus on developing a better pass rush skill set, something he was lacking last season.

While Loudermilk saw a healthy number of snaps as a rookie, he failed to make a huge impact as a pass rusher. With the retirement of Stephon Tuitt, it will be vital that Loudermilk makes some stride when going after the quarterback as he will need them to become the team’s top reserve end. He had some surprisingly good play as a rookie, but the focus now has to shift onto him becoming a steadier pass rusher.