Nobody is denying that the Pittsburgh Steelers roster has been improved on paper. Their only notable losses during the offseason were wide receiver Diontae Johnson and aging cornerback Patrick Peterson. In their place, general manager Omar Khan loaded on talent with players like OT Troy Fautanu, C Zach Frazier, LB Payton Wilson, WR Roman Wilson, LB Patrick Queen, SS DeShon Elliott, and a handful of others.
Despite the significant changes to their roster, the mainstream NFL media isn't convinced the Steelers have done enough to jump up a tier in the power rankings.
All offseason, the media pegged Pittsburgh as an average NFL team. Unfortunately, that's the consensus ahead of the 2024 preseason. Here's where the Steelers are slated in the latest NFL power rankings.
Steelers power ranking roundup ahead of the preseason
Marcus Mosher, The 33rd Team: 16th
Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team was one of the more generous analysts when it came to Pittsburgh's spot in the power rankings -- slotting them in the middle of the pack as the 16th-best team in the league. Mosher believes the Steelers will be forced to rely heavily on their defense until they figure out their quarterback situation.
David Helman, Fox Sports: 19th
According to David Helman, the Steelers have not moved up or down the list since his previous power rankings. This doesn't inspire optimism, as the team is hoping to take a significant step forward this season. Helman doesn't believe Pittsburgh is capable of much more than a nine-win season -- even with the addition of players like Russell Wilson and their young offensive linemen.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 15th
Of recent preseason NFL power rankings, Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports gave the Steelers their highest ranking (though being 15th among 32 teams is nothing to write home about). Schwab noted Roman Wilson's ankle injury and how much of the team's success falls on the health of WR George Pickens this year. Their thin wide receiver room could be the death of them in 2024.
Robert Zeglinksi, USA Today: 18th
Robert Zeglinski of USA Today's For The Win spoke the praises of head coach Mike Tomlin but still ranked Pittsburgh in the bottom half of the league. Zeglinski notes that if the Steelers could earn ten wins with an underwhelming group of quarterbacks in 2023, they can do the same with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. However, he's not willing to move the Steelers up to the next tier, as Zeglinski has Pittsburgh behind teams like the Bears, Colts, and Falcons.