4 effortless depth chart decisions Steelers must make ahead of Week 4

The Pittsburgh Steelers are on a roll, and nothing would please head coach Mike Tomlin more than to walk into Lucas Oil Stadium and trounce the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. Thanks to spectacular efforts from a strong defense and quarterback Justin Fields, the Steelers are 3-0 and could make it four straight before hosting the Cowboys in Week 5.

But there's still plenty of work to do. As Pittsburgh threatens to become a legitimate contender, there are a few players who aren't getting with the program and their performance simply isn't good enough.

Meanwhile, other less-proven players should be in line for more work. Here are four easy depth chart decisions the Steelers should make before playing the Colts in Week 4.

Start Calvin Austin, bench Van Jefferson

This is a no-brainer. Van Jefferson exited the Chargers game early in Week 3 after suffering an eye injury, but Pittsburgh's offense didn't skip a beat. If anything, it was addition by subtraction. Calvin Austin became a go-to target for Fields, and the young receiver's efficiency was through the roof -- catching five of six targets for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Austin showed off his impressive bust and speed on a 55-yard catch and run. He doesn't have the ideal size for a WR2, but with Roman Wilson now set to join the mix, Austin should be labeled the starter alongside George Pickens and Jefferson should see the bench.

Start Mason McCormick, bench Spencer Anderson

Isaac Seumalo has been a limited participant in practice and it sounds like he could play this week. (Seumalo has been dealing with a pectoral injury since before the start of the season). If he's unable to go or if Mike Tomlin wants to ease him back, the Steelers should turn to Mason McCormick at left guard.

McCormick saw his first action on offense in Week 3 against the Chargers, and the fourth-round rookie was impressive. He has the tenacity as a run blocker Pittsburgh values. Meanwhile, second-year offensive lineman Spencer Anderson is more of a swing offensive lineman by trade, and his performance has been unspectacular.

Pittsburgh should start McCormick this week if Seumalo isn't ready to go.

More snaps for Cordarrelle Patterson, fewer for Najee Harris

Jaylen Warren has been banged up since training camp with a hamstring injury. Now he's hampered with a knee issue that held him out of practice early in the week. This puts a lot of pressure on Najee Harris' shoulders.

Pittsburgh's starting running back received a lion's share of the touches. Though the first three games, Najee carried the ball 55 times -- putting him on the pace for a career-high 311 carries in 2024.

At this rate, Harris is going to wear down fast. To ease his load, the Steelers could deploy a heavier dosage of Cordarrelle Patterson. The veteran has only 10 carries on the season but is averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry entering Week 4.

More snaps for Payton Wilson and Elandon Roberts

As much as we would have loved for Patrick Queen to become one of the best linebackers in the league on the Steelers, the 2023 Pro Bowler looks like anything but early in his first season with Pittsburgh. Queen has been asked to wear the 'green dot' and make the defensive adjustments for his defense this year.

Missed tackles and spotty coverage plagued Queen in the first three games, but he can improve. Taking some of the load off would help. Veteran Elandon Roberts has been impressive as a run defender, while rookie Payton Wilson showed that he's capable of seeing the field for any situation.

Entering Week 4, Queen has played 163 defensive snaps compared to 65 for Roberts and 66 for Wilson. Regardless of how much Queen is being paid, it's time to distribute the workload more evenly at linebacker.