4 players the Steelers must make room for on the final 53
By Tommy Jaggi
3. Tanner Muse has coverage and special teams chops Steelers could use
Over the past few years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a heck of a time finding linebackers that could offer them much of anything on defense or special teams. For this reason, it wasn't at all surprising to see Omar Khan clean house at the LB position and essentially start over from a clean slate in 2023.
In doing so, Khan signed numerous off-ball linebackers during the 2023 free agency period. We can assume that veterans Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Kwon Alexander will have the biggest roles at the position this year, and Mark Robinson might carve out some work as well. But Tanner Muse is a player I think the team needs to keep around.
Muse isn't the most complete linebacker. At 6'2'' and 227 pounds, Muse isn't very stout against the run, and he needs to become more consistent. However, Muse offers outstanding speed and athletic traits. This could not only help the Steelers on special teams, but it could give them another defender they could potentially deploy in nickel and dime situations.
As possibly the final linebacker on the roster, Muse won't carve out a huge role on defense. But the former Clemson product did grade out as the best defensive player on the team in the preseason win over the Bills, per Pro Football Focus. His speed and willingness to tackle help this team on special teams and give them security at the LB position in the event of an injury.