It is decidedly well-established by now that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be more inclined than usual to stock up on defensive players with their selections in the upcoming 2015 NFL Draft.
Their defense has been performing to below standards for the past few seasons, with the past year seeing another dip on quality, particularly as it pertains to the secondary, while pressure and turnovers remain issues.
In the interim, the offensive side of the ball has blossomed and become one of the more respected units in the league, although it is still a work in progress, particularly when it comes to getting all the way home once they reach the red zone.
Because of that, the Steelers figure to lean heavily toward defensive players, but of course they’re not likely to use all eight of their draft selections on one side of the ball. There will be offensive contributors added to the team.
After all, the offense is not a finished product just yet, and there are some units on the roster that could certainly benefit from added depth. But just who ultimately gets added where will, as it always does, very much depend on how the draft ends up breaking, which is impossible to predict.
Looking at the offensive roster, then, regardless of unpredictable factors, I couldn’t help but wonder to myself which area of the roster on the offensive side of the ball I would want to address most, had I the power to do so.
The quarterback position, I think we can all agree, is relatively comfortable for now. There’s probably no need to draft somebody here. With the free agent addition at running back, I may still be interested in picking one up, but it wouldn’t be urgent.
At wide receiver, I’m pretty pleased with the top three, at the very least, and I feel as though I have a solid option at the fourth spot, and perhaps some contenders for the fifth as well. I also already have my fullback for the rare instances that I use one.
I have my top two tight ends, but they’re both over 30. I also have a seventh-rounder and that fullback. Maybe this isn’t an immediate need for 2015, but it could be pretty important in 2016, and will be dire in 2017.
Three of my five starting offensive linemen, and probably soon four of them, will be under my control for at least the next two seasons, so I’m good with that. The left guard position could be open though. And my top reserve interior lineman is also my oldest lineman. My top backup tackle is also in his last year and I’m not so sure I’m interested in re-signing him at all. Behind him is nothing quantifiable.
Looking back at my thought process above, I think I’ve narrowed down my two biggest needs on the offensive side of the ball to the tight end and interior line positions, both of which seem to be fine for this season but will be a big problem in the very near future. Tackle is also a serious issue, so I would like to find a guy who can play at least four positions if possible.
