With training camps just around the corner, NFL fans are filled with optimism ahead of a new season. But ESPN's latest rankings are already trying to put a damper on Pittsburgh Steelers fans' spirits.
On Monday, ESPN experts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder ranked all 32 NFL rosters based on projected starting depth charts. They determined that the Steelers had just the 19th-best projected lineup in the league.
This ranking trails teams like the Jaguars, Bears, and Buccaneers, while narrowly edging out the Colts, Commanders, and Vikings. Unfortunately, we're not looking at the cream of the crop here.
Clay noted that edge rusher remains the team's biggest strength. However, he listed off-ball linebacker as the biggest weakness—noting the struggles of Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson last season.
"Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson are back as the starters, and that might not be a good thing after Pittsburgh ranked 27th in run stop win rate (28.9%) last season. Queen remained an every-down player last season but slipped to 61st among 67 qualified off-ball linebackers in PFF grade (he ranked 54th among 69 qualified in 2024).
Wilson could make a Year 3 leap, though he struggled to fend off Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison, who both remain on the roster, for snaps last season." —Mike Clay
The Pittsburgh Steelers must see improvement from their linebackers in 2026
We can argue with ESPN's depth chart rankings all we want... but it's hard to make a strong case as to why Mike McCarthy's squad should be ranked much higher than 19th. Nearly every team ahead of the Steelers was more threatening last season, and they have more optimism at the quarterback position.
ESPN hit the nail on the head by labeling off-ball linebacker as the worst position on the team.
Last season, Queen had a disastrous performance on film that was confirmed by advanced statistics. According to Pro Football Focus, Queen allowed 74 receptions on 93 targets (79.6% completion) for 829 yards and three touchdowns. This was good for a 114.6 passer rating surrendered to opposing quarterbacks.
Queen was also credited with missing a whopping 32 tackles for a missed-tackle rate of 20.3 percent. The worst part is that he had almost no splash plays to make up for his shortcomings. On 1,180 defensive snaps, Queen recorded just one sack, four QB hits, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and zero interceptions.
Wilson was better, but not significantly so. The second-year linebacker allowed 45 receptions on 53 targets for 410 yards and two touchdowns for a 103.6 passer rating.
While we have real concerns about how quarterback Aaron Rodgers will perform in his age-43 season, there's no doubt that linebacker was the worst position on the team last year. And considering the Pittsburgh Steelers are slated to run it back with the same starters at the position in 2026, it's not hard to understand why ESPN labeled this the worst position on the team.
There are plenty of other areas in which the Steelers must improve, but their off-ball linebackers are keeping their 2026 depth chart rankings from climbing higher.
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