The NFL calendar inches closer and closer to the start of free agency, which means we’ll soon have actual football moves to discuss. That’s great news!
For now, there remains endless speculation and hot takes that drive the discussion. Knowing that, I wanted to turn the attention to a better discussion, such as who was the best starter on the Steelers this past season, rather than which of the 20 quarterbacks they might land this offseason.
Today, let’s wrap up my post-season Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series, re-hashing my preseason starters ranking from No. 24-1 for the Black and Gold. Most recently, I looked at No. 6-4.
As a reminder, here’s the list of Steelers’ rankings from No. 24-1 ahead of training camp.
No. 24 — Braden Mann, P
No. 23 — Dan Moore Jr., LT
No. 22 — Levi Wallace, CB
No. 21 — Joey Porter Jr., CB
No. 20 — Elandon Roberts, LB
No. 19 — Allen Robinson II, WR
No. 18 — Damontae Kazee, S
No. 17 — Chukwuma Okorafor, RT
No. 16 — Mason Cole, C
No. 15 — Patrick Peterson, CB
No. 14 — Cole Holcomb, LB
No. 13 — Kenny Pickett, QB
No. 12 — Chris Boswell, K
No. 11 — Larry Ogunjobi, DE
No. 10 — George Pickens, WR
No. 9 — Najee Harris, RB
No. 8 — Pat Freiermuth, TE
No. 7 — Isaac Seumalo, LG
No. 6 — Diontae Johnson, WR
No. 5 — James Daniels, RG
No. 4 — Alex Highsmith, OLB
No. 3 — Cameron Heyward, DE
No. 2 — T.J. Watt, OLB
No. 1 — Minkah Fitzpatrick, S
Swap out Pressley Harvin III for Mann at punter and Broderick Jones for Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle as those were really the only changes. I’ll still include Cole Holcomb in the rankings as he was a starter for more than half of the season before getting hurt and the Steelers didn’t exactly have another linebacker who played starter-level snaps while replacing him.
So far, here is the list for the post-season Steelers’ rankings:
No. 24 — Pressley Harvin III, P
No. 23 — Dan Moore Jr., OT
No. 22 — Mason Cole, C
No. 21 — Levi Wallace, CB
No. 20 — Damontae Kazee, S
No. 19 — Allen Robinson II, WR
No. 18 — Kenny Pickett, QB
No. 17 — Larry Ogunjobi, DE
No. 16 — Patrick Peterson, CB
No. 15 — Broderick Jones, OT
No. 14 — Pat Freiermuth, TE
No. 13 — Cole Holcomb, LB
No. 12 — Cameron Heyward, DE
No. 11 — James Daniels, RG
No. 10 — Elandon Roberts, LB
No. 9 — Diontae Johnson, WR
No. 8 — Isaac Seumalo, LG
No. 7 — Najee Harris, RB
No. 6 — Minkah Fitzpatrick, S
No. 5 — Joey Porter Jr., CB
No. 4 — George Pickens, WR
As the offseason continues, it’s time to wrap up the Ranking the Steelers’ Starters Post-Season Edition, closing it out with No. 3-1.
No. 3 — Alex Highsmith, OLB
What a terrific season for Alex Highsmith. While the overall sack numbers weren’t quite there for the outside linebacker like they were in 2022, Highsmith was outstanding in 2023, putting together the best season of his career after signing a four-year, $68 million contract extension in the summer.
Highsmith really ascended into a great player opposite T.J. Watt in 2023. The former third-round pick generated 69 total pressures to go with his seven sacks. He finished among the 10 highest-graded edge defenders on the season from Pro Football Focus at 90.3 and did it all for the Steelers. He had two interceptions, including a pick-six, and added two forced fumbles. Quietly, he was the Steelers’ best run defender for a long stretch, too, while the front seven dealt with injuries and new faces stepping into the lineup.
He’s become a complete, Pro Bowl-caliber defender. That’s pretty remarkable for a former walk-on at Charlotte. He’s one of the best players on the Steelers, too.
No. 2 — Chris Boswell, K
Chris Boswell? At No. 2 in this ranking? Seriously? Yes.
Without Boswell last season, who knows where the Steelers finish record-wise. He contributed 114 points, connecting on 29-of-31 field goals and 27-of-28 extra points. One of his misses came in the Week 8 loss at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a failed 61-yard attempt moments after he had converted a 56-yarder before officials called an absurd offsides penalty on Isaac Seumalo.
The 29-of-31 on field goals was good for a 95.3% conversion rate, the second-best mark of Boswell’s career. Of the 304 points the Steelers scored last season, Boswell contributed 114 of them, nearly 38% of their points scored on the year. At times, he was the entire offense. Great season.
No. 1 — T.J. Watt, OLB
Who else would it be but Trent Jordan Watt?
Watt had a stellar 2023 season, racking up 19.0 sacks. He had at least at least one sack in 13 of 17 games on the year. Not to mention, Watt was a force against the run, too, and added an interception on the year, making a great play in coverage on the road against the Los Angeles Rams and picking off Matthew Stafford. Watt also scored a defensive touchdown on a fumble return helping the Steelers win a game early in the season against the Cleveland Browns.
Everything Watt did in 2023 was remarkable. He couldn’t be blocked and dominated from start to finish. Somehow though, he was not rewarded with his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, which went to Cleveland’s Myles Garrett based on advanced analytics like pass-rush win rate.
What a shame.
Hall of Fame player though, period.
