One week from today, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have already completed their first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, kickstarting the return of football once again into our lives.
For now though, we still have a week to work through before the Steelers hit the practice field. Knowing that, I wanted to continue rolling through my Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series here at Steelers Depot.
Below is the list of projected starters 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 return 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.
*indicates players already ranked in the series.
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
Here is how the rankings look so far:
No. 24 — Dan Moore Jr., LT
No. 23 — Darnell Washington, TE
No. 22 — Van Jefferson, WR
No. 21 — Zach Frazier, C
No. 20 — Larry Ogunjobi, DE
No. 19 — Cameron Johnston, P
No. 18 — Donte Jackson, CB
No. 17 — Elandon Roberts, ILB
No. 16 — Broderick Jones, RT
No. 15 — Keeanu Benton, NT
No. 14 — James Daniels, RG
No. 13 — DeShon Elliott, S
No. 12 — Najee Harris, RB
No. 11 — Russell Wilson, QB
No. 10 — Isaac Seumalo, LG
Steelers’ Starters: No. 24-22
Steelers’ Starters: No. 21-19
Steelers’ Starters: No. 18-16
Steelers’ Starters: No. 15-13
Steelers’ Starters: No. 12-10
Without further ado, let’s dive into the latest installment of the Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series here at Steelers Depot, looking at No. 9-7.
No. 9 — Pat Freiermuth, TE
This ranking might be a bit puzzling for many, and I totally understand that. Tight end Pat Freiermuth is coming off a career-worst season, one that saw him haul in just 32 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns. He missed a handful of games with a hamstring injury, and when healthy he wasn’t all that productive.
But after the decision to fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada, Freiermuth had a larger role in the offense and started to play a bit better, too, especially as a blocker down the stretch. Now, entering the 2024 season, expectations are sky-high for the fourth-year veteran in coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, which is tight end friendly.
With an upgrade at quarterback in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, along with an emphasis on the middle of the field in the passing game where he feasts, Freiermuth appears poised for a monster 2024 season.
Should that happen, Freiermuth will once again be considered among the top 5-8 tight ends in the league and should have a hefty new contract with the Steelers.
No. 8 — George Pickens, WR
Pickens broke out in a major way in 2023, hauling in 64 passes for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns, coming through in a big way for the Steelers time and time again. He led the NFL in yards per reception with 18.1 in an offense that was largely vertically challenged in the passing game.
Pickens was a real force throughout the season. At times, defenses schemed up ways to take him away, which was frustrating for a young player who has immense belief in himself. But he learned from his mistakes with attitude and effort and closed the season on the right track.
He developed as a route runner, added YAC to his game and really became a terrifying receiver for defenses to deal with. Now, if he could just get consistent play from the quarterback position, like he did late in the season, the sky is the limit.
Entering the 2024 season, Pickens is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver for the Steelers, which is both a good and a bad thing. Good in the sense he is ready for the role, bad in the sense that the Steelers haven’t given him sufficient help on the other side after trading Diontae Johnson.
No. 7 — Joey Porter Jr., CB
Few cornerbacks were better in football last season than Joey Porter Jr.
As a rookie, Porter finished with a 65.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 806 snaps. He had a 67.9 grade in coverage, allowing just 25 receptions for 384 yards a touchdown while breaking up six passes and recording one interception. He was really good in coverage on the season, allowing the second-lowest completion percentage of any defensive back in football at 45.2%.
Now, entering Year 2 he is the true No. 1, lockdown cornerback for the Steelers on a star-studded defense. While there are concerns about depth behind him, there seems to be no doubts or concerns about Porter again being a dominant, shutdown cornerback.
He is quickly ascending in the pecking order for the Steelers from a star perspective and profiles as an elite-level building block for the franchise moving forward.
