The Steelers are now in their offseason after failing to reach the playoffs in 2022, coming up just a game short of sneaking in as the seventh seed. They needed help in week 18 and only got some of it, so instead they sat home and watched the playoffs with the rest of us.
On tap is figuring out how to be on the field in January and February instead of being a spectator. They started out 2-6, digging a hole that proved too deep to dig out of even if they managed to go 7-2 in the second half of the year.
Starting from the end of the regular season and leading all the way up to the beginning of the 2023 season, there are plenty of questions that need answered, starting with who will be the offensive coordinator. Which free agents will be kept? Who might be let go due to their salary? How might they tackle free agency with this new front office? How might they tackle the NFL Draft? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout this offseason, as we have for many years.
Question: What is the Steelers’ most improved position group this offseason?
With nearly all of the heavy lifting done in terms of roster building for the 2023 season coming out of the draft, we’re going to spend some time talking about where we now sit. The first topic at hand is improvements. Specifically, at which position group have the Steelers improved the most since last season?
I want to clarify that I’m talking specifically about the impact it will have for 2023.
I would imagine that the offensive line and the defensive backfield will probably be the most popular answers. They potentially added two new starters to the line with free agent guard Isaac Seumalo and then 14th-overall draft pick Broderick Jones, who could step in right away at left tackle.
In the secondary, the Steelers did lose their best cornerback from last season in Cameron Sutton, but they also replaced him with future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson, who still has some life left in those legs—and, again, we’re talking about 2023 here. Then they landed Joey Porter Jr. in the draft. And while they lost Terrell Edmunds at safety, the combination of Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal could be an interesting one.
One could argue that the quarterback position should be the answer, since it doesn’t necessarily have to be about positional additions. While Kenny Pickett would naturally be expected to be better, improving the offensive line—and thus the run game—will play in his favor. They also got him some new weapons in veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II and rookie tight end Darnell Washington.
A case could be made for other areas as well. Feel free to think outside the box as long as it’s an opinion you genuinely hold. The inside linebacker room is almost completely different, for example, and should also benefit from better defensive line play.
