The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten back to their roots. Not just in the idea of being tough, physical, and running the ball at will but in simply knowing who they want to be. Having a philosophy, an identity, and matching personnel to fit. Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show Monday, NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah praised the Steelers not just for their picks but what they say about the team’s vision.
“I feel like the Steelers, I wouldn’t say they lost their way a few years ago, but they went [away] from being one of the two or three most physical teams in the league,” Jeremiah told Eisen. “Year after year after year. To kinda, didn’t have an identity offensively. Some of that was blowback on Matt Canada but I also don’t think they knew who they were.
For the first time since 2012, the Steelers drafted three offensive linemen in one class. And for the first time since 1976, they drafted three with their first five picks. It’s a clear directive that GM Omar Khan has had in his two drafts with the team. In 2023, the team took a pair of linemen in Broderick Jones and Spencer Anderson. In 2024, they upped the ante with Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick.
Jeremiah’s critique is fair. Pittsburgh has been working through the transition from the Ben Roethlisberger era. In his final season and in 2022, the Steelers’ first season without him, they didn’t know who they wanted to be. Roethlisberger couldn’t carry the team like he used to and after he retired, there was a leadership void on offense.
Slowly, the team has gone from no vision to having an identity to finally having personnel to match.
“Right now, they’ve established they’re an offensive line with two tight ends,” Jeremiah said. “Two big physical tight ends. They’ve got two backs…they are going to be a ground and pound team.”
It’s the look of an Arthur Smith run team. Pittsburgh is heavy at tight end and running back, questionable at wide receiver (though potentially looking to add), and figures to run the heck out of the football. Identity doesn’t guarantee success. But a lack of one cements failure.
