We have officially welcomed October, meaning that September, and roughly the first quarter of the season, has wrapped up. The Steelers find themselves in a good spot. Despite a loss this past weekend, the Steelers own a 3-1 record and are on top of the AFC North. For a team that usually starts slow, it was refreshing to see the entire unite rally as it has.
Before the season rolls on, I wanted to provide some initial grades for the starters on this team. To clarify, a starter, to me, is someone who either has been listed as starting at least half of the games they have been healthy in or has played 50 percent or more of the snaps.
Grades are determined on an A-F scale. The grades are a mix of both a player's performance as well as what my expectations were for them heading into the season. With that said, here are the early grades for the 27 Steelers starters.
Steelers F grades (1 player)
Broderick Jones
I didn’t have high hopes for Broderick Jones heading into his second season. Tackles take a longer time to develop on average, and Jones was extremely raw in college. That said, his play has been far worse than I could have imagined. Bad blocks and critical penalties have plagued him, and he was benched. He has the occasional good rep, but for the most part, it has been all negative for Jones.
Steelers D grades (6 players)
Najee Harris, Van Jefferson, Spencer Anderson, Larry Ogunjobi, Patrick Queen, Beanie Bishop
We have a wide array of names on this list. The headliner is Najee Harris, who has continued to play below-average football as a runner. He runs with a lot of power, but he is plodding and struggles unless holes are wide open. Expectations were sky high and he certainly hasn’t delivered.
Van Jefferson had notably lower expectations, but he has been even more lackluster than I thought he would be. I expected a few bigger plays and steadier receiving snaps, but he has barely registered on the stat sheet. Spencer Anderson was thrust into the starting lineup and was lackluster overall.
Larry Ogunjobi has been consistent in his time with the Steelers, consistently below-average. That has continued through this year as he hasn’t been an impact player once again. Beanie Bishop has been ok, but he also hasn’t popped on tape. I was hoping for a little more impact from the slot position.
Finally, Patrick Queen has yet to showcase the elite play that he was paid to produce. He signed the largest free-agent contract in Steelers history with the expectation that he would be the next great linebacker. Instead, the play has been below-average and the signing doesn’t look great right now.
Steeles C grades (6 players)
Pat Freirmuth, MyCole Pruitt, Keeanu Benton, Alex Highsmith, Elandon Roberts, Joey Porter
The majority of the 27 starters I’ve graded are ranked at a C or better, which is good for the team. Unfortunately, we have some heavy hitters on this list. Starting with Pat Freiermuth, it would have been nice to see him have a quicker start following his new contract. It hasn’t been horrible, but he could be featured more and make some bigger plays.
MyCole Pruitt has been injured for a few games, but he was seeing a lot of snaps earlier when healthy. Nothing notable here, but a fine depth tight end meeting expectations. Ditto for Alex Highsmith, who had higher expectations but has met them for the most part before his injury. Nothing tremendous though, so I can’t grade him any higher.
Elandon Roberts has been his usual steady self as a run defender, but he is losing snaps to Payton Wilson. Keeanu Benton has looked good on tape but hasn’t been the stat monster you wanted. A few bigger plays and sacks would push him into a higher grade.
I struggled with where to put Joey Porter, as his play up and until the Colts game was solid. That said, I had equally high expectations, and he is just about meeting them. Penalties and a lack of turnovers keep him at a C grade for now.
Steelers B grades (7 players)
George Pickens, Calvin Austin, Darnell Washington, Zach Frazier, Cameron Heyward, Donte Jackson, Minkah Fitzpatrick
Expectations were high for George Pickens coming into the season, and he has looked great at times. That said, he has yet to really take over a game. He is averaging healthy numbers though, and has had a few big plays taken away by penalty. Assuming he has a few marquee games and keeps up his current pace, Pickens will ascend by the next quarter.
I made a small exception for Calvin Austin, who has only played 49 percent of the snaps. That said, he has provided some big plays and has done well as a returner. A similar story for Darnell Washington, who has become a core player on offense. His receiving ability has been hit and miss, but add in his blocking and it has been a strong second season for him.
Zach Frazier has been stout as a rookie. I expected good play out of him, and he has exceeded that level slightly. Cameron Heyward looks great for his age and has been a huge asset in run defense. His power is still there as a pass rusher as well. His new deal looks great so far.
Donte Jackson has exceeded my expectations so far. He has been an above-average second cornerback for the defense and a welcome addition to the roster. Minkah Fitzpatrick has been his usual self this season. He is still lacking the big play, but you can’t be upset with his play so far.
Steelers A grades (7 players)
Justin Fields, Dan Moore, James Daniels, T.J. Watt, DeShonn Elliott, Chris Boswell, Corliss Waitman
Justin Fields has been a surprise for the Steelers this season. He wasn’t supposed to be a starter, but an injury to Russell Wilson has opened the door for him. He hasn’t looked back. When given the opportunity, he has shined for the offense, and he has displayed the traits you want in a franchise quarterback.
Cudos to Dan Moore, who is deserving of some praise this season. He has really come into his own as a tackle. My expectations weren’t that high, but he has exceeded them. He should be in line for a big payday. James Daniels was playing well before his injury, so this will be the only time he is graded this year, unfortunately.
T.J. Watt is his usual elite self, and it is remarkable to watch him make an impact every week. DeShonn Elliott has been another welcome addition to the secondary. For the first time in a long time, it feels like the team has a potent dup at safety.
Finally, both of the specialists have been great this year. For Chris Boswell, this is nothing new, as he has been dynamic as a kicker all season. It is nice to see Corliss Waitman here as well though. He has been great since getting signed. Both have been key contributors in their own right and are deserving of praise.