The Steelers had some great returns on their 2021 draft class, and here is one thing each of these players needs to improve upon in their second season.
The Steelers had one of the more productive rookie draft classes last year. While no one lit the league on fire, they found steady production from almost all of their picks. That said, this class still has a lot of issues to work on, especially if some of these names want to be more than just middling backups. Here is one score issue each of the Steelers 2021 draft class should work on in their second year.
Steelers Harvin
Issue: Consistency
It was a frustrating year, to say the least, for rookie punter Pressley Harvin. Despite having a lot of college success and quickly becoming a fan favorite due to his build, Harvin had a wildly inconsistent year as a rookie. Some of his punts looked elite, as his big leg was evident and as a result, opposing offenses were pinned. Other punts were disastrous shanks and resulted in an easy path to points for other teams.
While his competition in camp isn’t that stiff, he is essentially competing with any other punter that will get cut once rosters are trimmed. If he wants to secure his spot, he has to get more consistent punting the ball. Yes, that is a broad issue, but if he can’t regularly deliver good punts, he won’t be worth rostering.
Sure, when Harvin delivers a great punt, you know it. His leg strength is incredible, and his placement can be close to elite at times as well. When every other punt is miserable though, you aren’t worth keeping around. If he can cut down on his bad punts and become more consistent though, the team may have a good punter to field for a while.
Steelers Norwood
Issue: Run Support
Tre Norwood, along with another day three counterpart, quickly became two relative surprises for the Steelers draft class. Norwood was seen as a limited safety with a lot of questions across the board. The team quickly slotted him into the slot position, and he thrived there. The early returns weren’t great, as he struggled when tasked with a variety of roles, but he eventually thrived when allowed to focus just on the slot.
The one main area that Norwood was lacking by the end of his rookie season was his run defense. While he wasn’t horrible there, he didn’t defend the run like the team had been used to in the slot. Sure, we were spoiled with Mike Hilton there, but even Arthur Maulet provided better run support for this team.
If Norwood can get a bit more physical and instinctive there, the Steelers could have a quality slot defensive back on their hands. Norwood certainly has the size to do well, as he is bigger than Hilton was. He needs to be more instinctive as a player and more aggressive at the line of scrimmage. If he can take that step though, the second-year veteran could be in for a huge second season.
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.
Steelers Johnson
Issue: Special Teams Ability
One of the only true unknowns left from this draft class, Buddy Johnson is in a tough spot heading into camp. Fourth rounds picks aren’t guaranteed much of anything in their second year, and he failed to do much when active last season. He only played 65 total snaps on defense and special teams between his four games active and he failed to look that great anywhere.
The linebacker room has filled out, as the team added Myles Jack to be a new starter and drafted Mark Robinson late to further add to the depth chart. With the top three spots set, Johnson needs to focus on making an impact on special teams before he can even think about defense. If he can’t thrive on coverage units, there is a real chance Johnson gets cut after camp.
That said, special teams is a place where Johnson should thrive. He was a tackling machine in college and tested well as an athlete. If he can carve out a good role there, he could contend for the fourth spot on the depth chart. From there, he can focus on overtaking Robert Spillane on defense. His immediate focus has to be on special teams though. If not, he won’t be with the Steelers for long this year.
Steelers Moore
Issue: Power Rush Counters
Dan Moore was an interesting study during his rookie season with the Steelers. Likely picked with the intention of him sitting, he was called into action early due to a strong camp and injuries to Zach Banner. He ended up starting 16 games at left tackle as a rookie. The early results weren’t great, as he looked like a fourth-round rookie thrown into the fire. By season’s end though, Moore was beginning to stack decent games.
That said, Moore still struggled with your prototypical power rushers even as he improved as a player. He didn’t always get himself set early enough and he lacked the functional strength to hold his own, especially against one with an array of pass-rushing moves. If he can improve upon that in year two, he should develop into a steady starter.
The easiest way to get better here is to add some strength. Almost every rookie has to from year one to year two. After that, his hand placement could be better, and his anticipation needs to improve so he can better counteract opposing pass rushers. That said, all of this is a coachable issue that we should see improvements from. There is good reason to be excited about Moore’s jump in 2022.
Steelers Green
Issue: Versatility
Where to start with the Steelers most disappointing pick from the 2021 NFL draft class Kendrick Green. The team had far too high of expectations for the former Illinois guard and his ability to transition to center full time. He struggled, which was partially to be expected given the newness of his role. Now, he is no longer being counted on to even start this year due to how bad he was as a rookie last year.
With him now shifting back to guard, the thing Green needs to focus on right now is his versatility. No, that isn’t the biggest issue with his game (that would be his ability to anchor), but in order or him to not completely tumble down the depth chart, Green has to become a versatile backup that can essentially play any of the three interior spots.
Sure, the Steelers are framing this as an open competition for the left guard spot between Green and Kevin Dotson, but that appears to be more fluff than anything else. Instead, Green needs to focus on his versatility right now so he is an active backup on gamedays. If not, his career with the Steelers may be cut short.
Steelers Freiermuth
Issue: Yards Per Reception
The Steelers had no bigger of a surprise than when Pat Freiermuth essentially became their starting tight end early in the season. While a second-round draft pick, he was behind then-incumbent Eric Ebron and rookie tight ends typically have a steep learning curve when it comes to transitioning to the NFL. That said, Freiermuth became a great safety valve in this offense and was arguably the best rookie for this team.
The one area that Freiermuth was lacking overall was in his yards per reception category. This wasn’t all his fault, as the Steelers offense was made up mostly of short passes and check-downs. He actually had a decent yard after the catch number of 247 yards, essentially half of his total yards. This season though, Freiermuth has to be more of a down-the-field threat for this team.
This isn’t to say that he suddenly has to be putting up receiver-like numbers here. A jump to around 10 yards per reception would be more than enough assuming he maintains (or likely improves) his receptions and touchdowns. He is a physical presence though, and that should be welcomed for a down-the-field target. If he takes that step, he will be well on his way to becoming a top tight end in the league.
Steelers Harris
Issue: Big Runs
Najee Harris is a hard player to list here. The transition from running back to the NFL is relatively cut and dry. Sure, players can get stronger and leaner, but usually, backs aren’t making huge jumps because of developing as a pro. Harris, for the most part, is what he is: a great power back who can also serve as the primary third-down back for this team.
The one area he lacked as a rookie was big runs. Sure, the offensive line played a role in that, as they struggled to open basic holes for Harris let alone pave a huge pathway for the big guy to rumble through, but his long of 37 yards certainly leaves a lot to be desired. His main focus in year two has to be on making bigger plays and being less of a traditional three yards and a cloud of dust type back.
As a power back, Harris doesn’t have to be carving out big run after big run. He will never have the speed to be successful in doing so. That said, even bigger backs such as Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor can break off the occasional long run. Doing so will naturally up his yards per carry as well as his impact on the offense. No, he doesn’t need multiple huge runs a game, but the occasional big run mixed in with his consistent power runs will make him one of the top running backs in the league.
The Steelers saw a lot of production out of their rookie class last season, as almost every player became a key contributor somewhere. That said, there are still areas that this class will have to grow into heading into year two. If each member can improve in the category I outlined, we could see another healthy season from the entirety of this class yet again in 2022.