Steelers fans have more than enough reasons to be optimistic about their team in 2024. After falling short in 2023 and failing to earn a playoff win for the sixth straight year, Omar Khan and the front office were not content to run things back and they completely revamped their roster during the offseason.
This included adding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback while finding capable starters like Patrick Queen and DeShon Elliott in free agency. From there, Pittsburgh was praised for their impressive haul during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, a few weak positions still remain on the roster that could prove to be their Achilles heel this year. Here are the weakest positional groups on the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into 2024.
Slot cornerback
It's hard to make a logical argument that any other position on the team is as weak as the slot cornerback position. On the boundary, the Steelers have a lot going for them. Joey Porter Jr. looks like a budding star, they added a capable veteran in Donte Jackson, and they have a trio of young, long, and athletic cornerbacks in Cory Trice, Darius Rush, and Ryan Watts.
However, their options to man the slot CB position are extremely limited. As of now, it looks like a three-way race between journeyman Josiah Scott, veteran Anthony Averett, and undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop.
In today's NFL, slot cornerback is an important position that good quarterbacks and smart offensive play-callers can exploit. Unless one of these players surprises us, slot CB could end up being the worst position on the team this year.
Wide receiver
If George Pickens can keep his emotions in check on the field, the sky is the limit to his upside. Outside of Pickens, however, there are numerous question marks. Though I'm quietly optimistic about what Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin III could offer in 2024, the Steelers may not have a true WR2 on their team this year.
I don't believe that players like Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, or Scotty Miller are needle-movers by any stretch. If something were to happen to Pickens this year, Pittsburgh's passing attack would be in a world of trouble.
Until the next wide receiver breaks out and proves himself as a worthy, starting-caliber option, wide receiver remains one of the weakest positional groups on the Steelers roster.
Interior defensive line
Even in his old age, Cameron Heyward should be a solid player for Pittsburgh in 2024. Meanwhile, Keeanu Benton shows a ton of promise and could take the next step forward in Year 2. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be concerned about the rest of the interior defensive line group.
Veteran Larry Ogunjobi was extremely underwhelming last season and his performance took another step back in 2023. Likewise, the Steelers felt it necessary to re-sign Montravius Adams despite making minimal positive contributions last season. Outside of this group, it's hard to say what players like Dean Lowry, Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal, and Logan Lee could offer.
While the depth looks respectable, they desperately need another player who can step up and be a reliable difference-maker in the middle of the defensive line. Perhaps one of their young players can emerge as a great rotational piece, but we can't count on that being the case.