The Steelers have a young roster full of potential and these players could emerge out of the shadows this season.
The Steelers head into the season with little expectations just like in 2021. Their young team has a lot to prove before they get some respect in the league. There are a bunch of fresh faces that will have big roles for the black and gold in the upcoming campaign.
It is a new chapter in the book of lore for Pittsburgh as a franchise. They have a mix of new players and staff that will hopefully congeal into a contending team this year. The road in front of them will be a long and curvy one that could throw many curveballs at them.
Youth on a club could mean a multitude of situations coming to reality. Either the team will sink, or they will swim when thrown into the brutal waters of the NFL. These emerging players that made this list should be able to swim when they get into the water and hopefully become consistent starters.
Dan Moore Jr. should be able to emerge for the Steelers in year two
Dan Moore Jr. is returning as the starting left tackle for this offensive line. He is entering his second year in the NFL after an up and down rookie season. Youth is still on his side and that will help benefit his growth in year two with the Steelers.
He was a fourth-round pick, but this tackle was thrown into the fire early on with not many options to start last season. Moore would play every snap at the starting spot protecting Ben Roethlisberger’s blindside. He had a rough start but concluded his rookie campaign well enough to earn the starting spot again.
Alex Highsmith carries high expectations from the Steelers
If reports from training camp can be taken as gospel, the defense for the black and gold are going to be good again. The offense will have its warts, but the defense seems to be taking advantage of them in camp. Many probably saw this writing on the wall, but that is a good sign with a defense in flux.
Many starters have departed the club and the defense is what propelled the Steelers into the playoffs last season. They will need to accomplish that feat yet again to have a chance at the postseason. It will take many different players to step up to reach that goal in 2022.
T.J. Watt cannot be the only player consistently applying pressure to the quarterback on the outside. That is where Alex Highsmith comes in and should reap the benefits of Watt being the major focus against opposing offenses. He is now entering year three and this will be the biggest season of his young career.
He had a solid first go of things during his first time as a starter for this club last year. Things should be getting easier for Highsmith heading into the second full season of him playing almost every snap. Coaches are expecting big things from him, and many believe that anything less than a ten sack performance would be disappointing.
Chase Claypool will be out to prove something after last season
The offense for the Steelers was one of the worst in the NFL last year and Matt Canada’s job is on the line. The offensive coordinator has gone under lots of scrutiny, and for good reason. He will have a big challenge for himself in 2022. A new role and structured offense should get his plan in full effect.
There are many different targets that should give these quarterbacks their best chance at success. Right now, that competition at signal-caller is getting all the attention as the pecking order is getting figured out. The weapons they will be throwing to still need to know where they will be lining up as well.
Chase Claypool is coming back after a down year, which occurred after having an explosive rookie debut. Year three is going to be vital when it comes to the future relationship between him and the Steelers organization. He will likely be playing in the slot and using his big frame to his advantage.
The main issue with Claypool will be consistency and showing his maturity level. He struggled to find consistency in an offense, which also struggled with that concept as well. Claypool’s selfishness cost the team a game last season and that is something he needs to put behind him starting now.
Isaiahh Loudermilk is expected to help fill the void on the defensive line
The defensive line is coming off one of the most embarrassing performances by the group in decades. Some might even consider it the worst run defense in franchise history for the Steelers. The fact that the club made their run defense almost second nature created even more disappointment.
Missing both Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu did put them behind the eight ball, but there seemed to be many factors as to why they struggled in 2021. Hopefully, with more depth and veterans returning, this run defense issue will be resolved this season. There are a mix of veterans and young emerging players along the defensive trenches for Pittsburgh.
One player that many in the media have been talking about a lot is Isaiahh Loudermilk. The second-year man out of Wisconsin had a slow start to his NFL career before finishing strong at the end of his rookie season. Many think that he will begin to take over for Alualu as the schedule progresses further.
That is a high mark to ask from this young lineman that has put on more weight and seems to do well against the run. That was one of Loudermilk’s strong abilities throughout his rookie season. He will need to show more in his pass rush repertoire before every down starter is deemed for him.
The Steelers have some young and upcoming talent that should have their best season yet. It will be interesting to see how these returning players evolve heading into big years for their careers.