The Pittsburgh Steelers’ mandatory minicamp is just one day away. Once that three-day session is over, the Steelers will enter a bit of a dead period between mid-June and the start of the training camp in late July.
During that dead period, not much is expected to happen, outside of potentially an extension for tight end Pat Freiermuth and possibly defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
In the meantime, I figured it would be a good time to roll out my Ranking The Steelers’ starters series, especially with a bunch of new faces on the roster.
Below is the list of projected starters that I am using for the series. The series features a two-tight end, 12-personnel set, and base package football defensively. That means just one running back, so I had to choose between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren as the starter. I also ditched the three-CB look defensively to go back to the traditional 3-4 scheme.
Therefore, that means you won’t see names like Cameron Sutton or Damontae Kazee defensively, but you will see Keeanu Benton this summer after not being included last summer.
This is the starting lineup that I believe will be rolled out in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons on the road.
Offense
QB — Russell Wilson
RB — Najee Harris
WR — George Pickens
WR – Van Jefferson
TE — Pat Freiermuth
TE — Darnell Washington
LT — Dan Moore Jr.
LG — Isaac Seumalo
C — Zach Frazier
RG — James Daniels
RT – Broderick Jones
Defense
DE — Cameron Heyward
DE — Larry Ogunjobi
NT — Keeanu Benton
OLB — Alex Highsmith
ILB — Elandon Roberts
ILB — Patrick Queen
OLB — T.J. Watt
CB — Joey Porter Jr.
CB — Donte Jackson
S — Minkah Fitzpatrick
S — DeShon Elliott
Specialists
K – Chris Boswell
P — Cameron Johnston
Now that the players who will be used are decided above, I wanted to give a quick rundown of what the Ranking The Starters’ series looked like from last summer.
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 — Minkah Fitzpatrick, S
No. 1 — T.J. Watt, OLB
As you can see, quite a few names will change from this time last summer. That shouldn’t be surprising, considering the overhaul that GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl did to the roster this offseason.
On paper, Pittsburgh appears to be a better team overall, which should have them competing for an AFC North division crown and potentially winning a playoff game this season. That’s encouraging.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series, starting with No. 24-22.
No. 24 — Dan Moore Jr., LT
This feels a bit tough to place Dan Moore Jr. at No. 24, considering it was a position long occupied by the Steelers’ punters of the past. But that’s where Moore slots in on this roster among all starters this offseason.
He was the worst-graded pass-blocking tackle in football last season and really struggled from a protection standpoint. However, he is a very solid run blocker overall and fits well into what the Steelers want to do up front in running the football.
Though Pittsburgh drafted Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Washington and plan on flipping 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones back to the left side in 2024, I think Moore holds off the Steelers from making that move at least into the early portion of the season.
His run blocking will lead the way for him, but Moore has to show improvements in pass protection. He can no longer be a liability, or he’ll be out of a starting job quickly.
No. 23 — Darnell Washington, TE
After spending much of his rookie season serving as an in-line blocking tight end, Darnell Washington appears in for a bigger Year 2 with the Steelers, thanks to the presence of Arthur Smith as the new offensive coordinator.
Coming out of Georgia, Washington had impressive size and athleticism, which had Steelers fans and media members very excited about his NFL prospects. But then, he was slow to adjust to the NFL as a route runner, didn’t create any separation, and was largely limited to a blocking role—a role he held down well for the Steelers.
But Year 2 is a big one for Washington. He should be utilized more as a receiving option, especially in the red zone, and should give the Steelers another added weapon to work with.
No. 22 — Van Jefferson, WR
Currently, Jefferson projects as the WR2 for the Steelers, which is a bit concerning on paper. Though he has plenty of experience, he has struggled to produce in recent years and doesn’t exactly move the needle opposite George Pickens.
However, he’s a steady presence, one who knows how to be a professional, prepares the right way and has a solid resume. In 2021, Jefferson had 50 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns for the Los Angeles Rams, helping them win the Super Bowl over the Cincinnati Bengals.
He hasn’t come close to replicating that type of season, but he has a great opportunity with the Steelers opposite Pickens this season. He’s still just 27 years old, too.
Really excited to see what Jefferson can do in 2024 for the Black and Gold.
