In the blink of an eye, the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, and the offseason calendar in the NFL continues to flip by at an eye-popping rate.
In just a few weeks, free agency will start, and things will become quite busy across the NFL landscape. For now though, it remains a bit slow. So, I figured now was a good time to continue my post-season Ranking the Steelers’ Starters series.
Today, let’s continue rolling right along in 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. 12-10.
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 at punter for Mann 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
As the offseason continues, it’s time to look at No. 9-7 in the Ranking The Steelers’ Starters Post-Season Edition.
No. 9 — Diontae Johnson, WR
One of the most maligned players in recent franchise history, Diontae Johnson gets a ton of hate for no real reason. Though he didn’t have a great 2023 season with just 51 receptions for just 717 yards and five touchdowns, he made key plays when it mattered most, especially late in the season. He also had just two drops.
Johnson remains one of the best route runners in the game, one who consistently gets open with the best of them. Once the Steelers had steady quarterback play late in the season, Johnson took off. But consistency throughout the season was a major concern. Some weeks, Johnson was the top target getter and seemingly couldn’t be covered. Other weeks, he would completely disappear, which would lead to some boneheaded mistakes and some sideline antics that weren’t necessary.
Make no mistake though: he’s a really good receiver who is a vital cog in the Steelers’ offense. Hopefully with better quarterback play in 2023, Johnson can get back to being a 1,000-yard receiver.
No. 8 — Isaac Seumalo, LG
Quietly, Isaac Seumalo was the best offensive linemen in 2023 for the Steelers after coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency on a three-year, $24 million deal. Though he got off to a bit of a slow start, Seumalo settled in nicely and became a strong piece for the Steelers in the trenches, both from a pass-blocking and a run-blocking perspective.
Seumalo played 1,038 snaps on the season and graded out at a 71.9 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 71.0 as a run blocker and a 65.5 as a pass blocker. His signature block of the season came in the regular-season finale when he buried a Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman on a trap play, springing Najee Harris for a touchdown.
He’ll be 31 this season, but he is still playing at a very high level.
No. 7 — Najee Harris, RB
Three years in the Black and Gold, three straight 1,000-yard seasons for Najee Harris. Though his overall numbers weren’t all that impressive in 2023, Harris shook off a slow start and really got into a groove late in the season, becoming that hammer the Steelers envisioned when they drafted him coming out of Alabama.
While he was that true hammer for the Steelers, grinding down defenses late in the season leading to two straight 100-yard games, Harris also had an explosive element to his game. He had 24 10-plus-yard runs on the season, per PFF, which was tied for seventh in the NFL with teammate Jaylen Warren and Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III. Harris also graded as the 12th-best running back on the season from PFF at 78.1.
Harris played some of his best football late in the season, and with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith coming into town with a run-first mentality, Harris’ best football in Pittsburgh could be ahead.
