5 hot takes on how the Steelers should attack this offseason

Steelers need to blow up the defensive line room

The Steelers took a unique approach last offseason with one of their biggest positional weakness. The linebacker room had been an utter train wreck across the board. The starters were ineffective and the backups were lackluster. Pittsburgh opted to overhaul the room completely, as they only brought back one name from the 2022 season, that being Mark Robinson.

Free agency was dedicated to improving this room. They brought in Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts on multi-year deals while filling out the depth chart with Kwon Alexander and Tanner Muse. This team sought new faces wherever they could, and it paid off. While Muse was ultimately cut, this unit was a strength of the team until injuries piled up.

The team needs to take a similar strategy with the defensive line room this offseason. This would involve parting ways with Larry Ogunjobi for starters. He has yet to recapture his elite form from a few years ago, and his cap space would be better spent elsewhere. The depth in the room can also be overhauled, as options like DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk were mediocre.

This upcoming draft class is filled with smaller, penetrating linemen, a body type that doesn’t fit the Steelers scheme well. Instead, they should attack the defensive line room like they did the linebacker room a year ago. Bring in a starter to replace Ogunjobi and fill out the depth chart with as much veteran depth as you can.

This accomplishes two things. One, the defensive line should have a similar turnaround to the linebacker room if the right players are brought in. Secondly, defensive line is suddenly not a draft need. This allows you to address other positions and build a stronger team overall. There is no guarantee that the Steelers continue to attack positions like they did linebacker, but I am all for them having the same strategy with the defensive line.