Getting closer and closer to the finish line of the long off-season and the start of training camp at St. Vincent, we’re wrapping things up here at Steelers Depot in the “Ranking the Starters” series.
In the last installment of the series, I took a look at No. 9-7 of the Steelers’ starters (out of 24). Today, I’ll take a look at No. 6-4.
Here we go.
Starters:
No. 24 – Jordan Berry
No. 23 – Ross Cockrell
No. 22 – Eli Rogers
No. 21 – Jesse James
No. 20 – Artie Burns
No. 19 – Vince Williams
No. 18 – Bud Dupree
No. 17 – Chris Boswell
No. 16 – Ramon Foster
No. 15 – Alejandro Villanueva
No. 14 – Javon Hargrave
No. 13 – James Harrison
No. 12 – Sean Davis
No. 11 – Martavis Bryant
No. 10 – David DeCastro
No. 9 – Mike Mitchell
No. 8 – Maurkice Pouncey
No. 7 – Cam Heyward
No. 6 – Marcus Gilbert, OT
Out of all five starters along the Steelers’ offensive line, Marcus Gilbert is by and large (at least in my eyes) the best player of the group.
After coming into the NFL looking more like a defensive lineman than a svelte offensive tackle, Gilbert made a big transformation and has developed into a standout right tackle in all of the NFL.
A road grader as a run blocker and one of the most consistent pass blockers on the right side, Gilbert has become one of the steadiest linemen in all of football, and possibly one of its most underrated.
Steelers fans know just how great Gilbert is, but I think this is the year that No. 77 puts the league on notice.
No. 5 — Stephon Tuitt, DE
After the loss of Cam Heyward for the season midway through the year, Tuitt blew up down the stretch for the Steelers, playing a huge role in Pittsburgh turning into one of the best defenses in football in the second half of the season.
The Notre Dame product finished with just 4.0 sacks, down from 6.5 in 2015, but Tuitt really stood out last season against the run, living in opposing backfields week after week, turning in consistent performances down the stretch.
With another year under his belt and the return of Heyward opposite him on the Steelers’ defensive line, a big year could be in store for Tuitt.
No. 4 — Ryan Shazier, ILB
Look, I know Shazier still struggles to make tackles on a consistent basis, but the Ohio State product simply lives in opposing backfields snap after snap and has become one of the hardest linebackers to block in all of football due to his first step, athleticism and speed.
It’s true that Shazier led the Steelers in my missed tackles tracker last season, but the third-year pro still finished second on the team in tackles (87) behind Lawrence Timmons.
With Timmons heading off to Miami this season, Shazier will take on more of a leadership role for the Steelers and should — if he stays healthy — make a case for All-Pro honors.
Last Season:
No. 6 – Ryan Shazier
No. 5 – David DeCastro
No. 4 – Le’Veon Bell
