The Pittsburgh Steelers are always looking to contend in the AFC, and that is no different this year. The team is littered with star power with TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick anchoring the defense. On offense, the team is filled with talented young players, such as Kenny Pickett, Najee Harris, George Pickens, and Diontae Johnson.
Despite the combination of star power and young talent on this team, those players will only take the Steelers so far. Each of those players is crucial to the team's success, but what makes a team successful isn't just the players at the top of the roster, instead it is how the entire roster shapes out and plays. With a 53 man roster, and 11 players on the field at all times, the cohesiveness of the team as a whole, and the depth of a team is extremely important. This is the NFL, and if a team has glaring weaknesses, other team's will exploit them.
Having said that, the Steelers do have good depth on their team, and while some of those depth players get their fair share of recognition, there are plenty of others who fly under the radar. The following four players are some of those players who are going under the radar, for a variety of different reasons.
4. Miles Killebrew, Defensive Back
Miles Killebrew is no doubt one of the most underappreciated players on the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that should come as no surprise. Killebrew isn't a starter on the Steelers defense, in fact he isn't an integral piece of the defense.
Instead, Killebrew's value to the team comes on special teams. The third-year Steeler shines on special teams, so much so that he was named a captain last year, and in all likelihood will be named one again this season. Killebrew has made his fair share of splash plays on special teams during his time in Pittsburgh, specifically with some memorable blocked punts.
However, it's not just these flashy plays that make him a key piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His leadership on the special teams unit clearly impressed the coaching staff enough to make him a captain in only his second year on the team. Combine his leadership with the fact that he is extremely reliable, playing in all 17 games in each of his first two years as a Steeler, and it's easy to see why the team likes him so much.
This isn't to say Killebrew is a slouch on defense either, it's merely showing how valuable he is to the team on special teams. He is a consistent tackler and a smart player, and that allows him to see the field in some specific packages and situations on defense as well. Core special teams players rarely get recognition as integral pieces of a team, but Miles Killebrew deserves some praise, as he is an extremely valuable member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could have a huge impact on the team this upcoming season.