Despite a rather productive start to the new league year, adding some big-name players in quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, along with linebacker Patrick Queen and safety DeShon Elliott, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still viewed as one of the lower-level teams in the AFC.
At least, that’s how CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani sees the Steelers, even after all the changes to the roster.
According to a CBSSports.com article Thursday morning, the Steelers are the No. 10 team in the AFC and last in the AFC North in Dajani’s AFC rankings after the first wave of free agency.
Dajani has the Baltimore Ravens at No. 2, the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 4, and the Cleveland Browns at No. 5. Dajani has the Steelers behind the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets to round out the top 10 in the AFC out of 16 teams. Not great.
“Queen got the bag to play for a rival, and then another former Raven in Elliott is joining him. The veteran [Donte] Jackson is a solid addition in the secondary, but let’s address the real story in Pittsburgh: quarterback. Who saw the Steelers parting ways with Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky, then bringing in both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields? I’m not someone who has a ton of confidence in Russ, but I do like the Field trade. Now comes the question of his fifth-year option,” Dajani writes regarding the Steelers’ outlook in the AFC following the first week of free agency.
“Arthur Smith should be an improvement compared to Matt Canada, and you can expect plenty of running. That’s something that can hide some deficiencies of Wilson’s, and work to Fields’ advantage. Hmm.”
Though the Steelers still have some major question marks at wide receiver following the trade of Diontae Johnson, at offensive tackle following the release of Chukwuma Okorafor, and at cornerback even after the acquisition of Jackson in the Johnson trade, it’s hard to see the Steelers as only the 10th-best team in the AFC.
Pittsburgh found two big answers to its quarterback quandary, landing Wilson and Fields for pennies on the dollar while jettisoning Trubisky and Pickett and letting Rudolph walk. Though the depth might not be there currently like it was in the last two years, the Steelers certainly feel improved at quarterback.
The same rings true at cornerback with the acquisition of Jackson to pair opposite Joey Porter Jr. for at least the 2024 season.
But it’s fair to question some of the depth and wonder if the Wilson/Fields dynamic under center will work with new coordinator Arthur Smith.
Smith should be a massive upgrade over the artist formerly known as Matt Canada. But will that be enough?
We’ll see how things shake out further this offseason. With the way GM Omar Khan is operating, nothing should be surprising. But having the Steelers as the 10th-best team in the AFC seems like a bit of a stretch, especially putting them in a conversation with teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers, all of whom have lost some big pieces this offseason.
