With NFL training camps kicking off this week, multiple contributors at ESPN put their heads together to rank all 32 NFL rosters based on the best projected starting lineup. The Baltimore Ravens claimed the top spot in the league, even over the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Steelers ranked in the bottom half of the league.
ESPN believes the Steelers have just the 19th-best roster in the league entering training camp. This comes in below teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys, while narrowly topping the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
The article highlights the edge rusher position as Pittsburgh's biggest strength entering 2025, while their biggest weakness is labeled as offensive tackle, with question marks for both Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu.
As the Steelers sit with the No. 19 roster, ESPN ranked the Cincinnati Bengals' roster 9th in the NFL, making Pittsburgh a distant third in the AFC North. This disrespect has gone too far.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a better roster than ESPN gives them credit for
The most important players on the Pittsburgh Steelers are indeed aging veterans. This team will live or die by what a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers can offer the offense in 2025. Meanwhile, Cameron Heyward is 36 years old, T.J. Watt and Jalen Ramsey both turn 31 years old in October, and Darius Slay is playing on borrowed time as a 34-year-old cornerback.
But ESPN is underestimating the talent of this roster.
Offensively, the Steelers can't match the top teams in the league. They have a quarterback who hasn't had a great season in at least four years, and they lack a true No. 2 wide receiver. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has a young and inexperienced offensive line.
Still, this unit is projected to be much better in 2025 than they were last season. While Jones and Fautanu could struggle as young, inexperienced offensive tackles, we can expect them to get better as the season goes on. The Steelers also have a go-to option in the passing game with DK Metcalf and a strong tight end room with Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington.
However, defense is still the bread and butter of this team. Despite some aging veterans, this unit is loaded with talent and includes the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, T.J. Watt. Pittsburgh is suddenly deep at every level —interior defensive line, edge rusher, linebacker, and cornerback. While the safety position took a hit with the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, this position is easy to mask in today's NFL.
These are merely subjective rankings, and all of this could change early in the season. But for now, Mike Tomlin and his players can use these disrespectful rankings as added fuel to the fire in 2025. The Pittsburgh Steelers have more talent than ESPN's roster rankings would suggest, and they'll be out to prove it this year.