Each offseason, a team of ESPN analysts looks at every NFL team and ranks them in a variety of categories to judge their outlook over the next three seasons. Dan Graziano, Louis Riddick and Aaron Schatz put the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 15, ranking the group highly in coaching but low in quarterback play.
Pittsburgh’s overall score on its 1-100 scale was 81.0, which was also the score the team’s overall roster, minus the quarterback position, received. The quarterback room got just a 70.3 grade, while coaching got a 90.7 and the front office got a 79.7, which ranked No. 17 in the league.
Pittsburgh’s reason for optimism from Graziano was its emerging young stars on offense with George Pickens, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
“Edge rusher T.J. Watt remains the centerpiece of a perpetually strong defense, leading the NFL with 19 sacks last season,” Graziano wrote. “The offensive line looks as solid as it has in a while after some draft replenishments. And George Pickens, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren all look like emerging stars on offense who should keep the Steelers competitive no matter which quarterback starts this season and beyond.”
Mentioning Harris, whose fifth-year option was declined, among their emerging young stars is interesting given that this could be his last year in Pittsburgh. Still, the team could work out an extension with him and keep him to bolster Pittsburgh’s rushing attack, but if that happens it’ll likely get done in the next few weeks.
Regardless, Pickens just had his first 1,000-yard season, and he’ll look to build off that with Russell Wilson this season. The quarterback room ranking as low as it did makes sense if you factor Wilson’s age, but Justin Fields being just 25 would presumably make the position rank higher. Still, with Fields on a one-year deal, there’s at least a reasonable explanation for ranking the Steelers’ quarterback situation No. 28 in a future power ranking.
Louis Riddick wrote that Pittsburgh’s biggest concern now and in the future is the fact that it has struggled to create explosive plays.
“The Pittsburgh offense’s ability to create explosive plays in the pass game is an ongoing issue, and finishing 26th in the NFL in plays of 20-plus yards in 2023 did nothing to lessen the worry. After hiring Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator, making additions along the offensive line (Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier) and overhauling the QB room (by adding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields), my concerns are not as great as they were last summer, but for this franchise to achieve elite status again, it must be able to match the best offenses in the league blow for blow.”
Whatever concerns Riddick had last summer he kept to himself because he sure was high on Kenny Pickett. Not only did he say that Pickett was going to “shut a lot of people up,” but he also thought that Pickett and George Pickens could push for the Pro Bowl. He’s not wrong that the lack of explosive plays could be a concern, but in a run-heavy Arthur Smith offense and with a quarterback who can take advantage of that to take the top off the defense, I don’t think it’s a huge issue ahead of this season.
I also don’t necessarily agree that Pittsburgh is going to need to match the best offenses in the league. They need to better on offense, but with a talented defense, the Steelers aren’t going to have to go blow for blow with an offense like the Chiefs to be a good, talented team. Pittsburgh could score three touchdowns a game and be good this season with the defense and run game that it has, so going blow for blow with the best offenses in the league isn’t something that will have to happen.
All things considered, with the unknown of how the quarterback play will be and Pittsburgh’s recent lack of postseason success, being ranked No. 15 is fair. The Chiefs ranked No. 1, followed by the Ravens, Bills, Lions and Eagles to round out the top five. The Cincinnati Bengals ranked No. 8 and the Cleveland Browns were No. 11, putting the Steelers last in the AFC North.
