Throughout the offseason here at Steelers Depot, I like to put together a series called Ranking The Rooms: AFC North, taking a look at how position groups stack up against each other within the division.
In case you missed how that turned out this offseason, leading to the ranking of the four teams in the AFC North, you can view that here.
Now, ahead of the 2024 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on the road inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, I decided to put a slight twist on that series, ranking the position groups on the 53-man roster from best to worst for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After a great offseason from GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl, which was the busiest in franchise history from a player transaction standpoint, the Steelers have — on paper — the looks of their best roster in a few years.
So, how does it all stack up against each other, position by position?
Glad you asked. Let’s take a look.
1. EDGE
Though the Steelers are carrying just three true outside linebackers on the roster into the season opener against the Falcons, the trio of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig is quite remarkable. While I was a bit concerned with the lack of depth behind Herbig at OLB4 earlier in the summer, the fact that Herbig appears to have taken another significant step in his development is quite comforting.
From a depth chart perspective, having the two headliners in Watt and Highsmith is a great place to start, but then having Herbig come in the game as relief has to be a nightmare for opposing offenses. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better trio of outside linebackers in the NFL, period.
2. ILB
Last year, the inside linebacker room ranked ninth in this exercise. One year later, thanks to some incredible business from Khan and Weidl, the Steelers inside linebacker room is now arguably the strength of the Steelers roster. Signing Patrick Queen in free agency was a massive haul for the Steelers, pairing him with Elandon Roberts to give the Steelers a stout inside linebacker room.
Along with Queen and Roberts, the Steelers also added Payton Wilson via the draft, potentially landing on a great player who fell in the draft and signed Tyler Matakevich in free agency to shore up special teams. On top of that, the Steelers still have Mark Robinson for depth and potentially have Cole Holcomb waiting in the wings later in the season if he can recover from last year’s knee injury.
This group is loaded with depth, talent, and NFL experience—great spot to be in.
3. RB
It’s hard to have anything negative to say about the Steelers’ running backs at this point in time. They should be even better under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, too. The work that Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren did last season was impressive, especially later in the season, and with Smith in the fold now, the run game should be even better.
Harris and Warren are two dependable running backs that fit perfectly together as a strong tandem for the Black and Gold, serving as the Thunder and Lightning in the backfield. The Steelers want to be a run-heavy team this year, and that will be centered around Harris and Warren.
It helps to have a veteran with great experience in Cordarrelle Patterson as the No. 3, too. This group is very deep, which will be key for the Steelers as they expect to run the football quite a bit. Having three players to lean on takes the weight off of the collective, which could help the Steelers keep all three fresh and hopefully healthy later into the season.
4. IDL
Last year, there was considerable concern about the Steelers’ depth chart along the defensive line, especially after Cameron Heyward went down with an injury and missed six weeks. This year, however, is a different story.
While the Steelers didn’t make any big splashes along the defensive line in the offseason, the growth and development of Keeanu Benton and DeMarvin Leal have been quite intriguing this offseason. Both were impressive during training camp and the preseason and could be impactful players for the Steelers in 2024. Heyward is healthy, too, and is entering the season with a point to prove. That should be very concerning for opponents.
Larry Ogunjobi had a strong offseason, too, and looked good in the preseason. If he can stay healthy and play like he did in the preseason, the Steelers’ defensive line should be quite stout.
Depth is solid, too, with veterans Dean Lowry and Montravius Adams holding down key roles, not to mention Leal. Rookie Logan Lee was very quiet throughout training camp and the preseason, but the Steelers saw enough to keep him on the 53-man roster initially.
5. TE
This is the one group that I might be too low on looking back later in the season, simply because of the role that the tight ends play in an Arthur Smith offense. But right now, I need to see it from this group. Outside of some nice plays from Connor Heyward and MyCole Pruitt, they were pretty limited in the preseason.
From top to bottom, though, this group profiles as a very solid one, especially if Pat Freiermuth takes a big step forward, as many expect. There is a huge opportunity for Freiermuth to really break out as a receiving option, which could do wonders for the Steelers’ offense through the air.
Darnell Washington has a chance to step forward as a dependable in-line blocking tight end and could even get involved in the passing game, while Heyward and Pruitt are intriguing, versatile, movable options.
6. S
Adding DeShon Elliott to this group in the offseason was a severely underrated move, largely because of what it means for Minkah Fitzpatrick moving forward. With Elliott in the fold, he can handle the box safety role and handle more run-defense responsibilities as that extra box defender. In turn, that can allow Fitzpatrick to go back to moving around and ball-hunting in the secondary, getting back to what he does best.
Together, that duo should be quite good for the Steelers. Where there is concern is with Damontae Kazee, who had a rough 2023 season and a suspension that severely hindered the Steelers. He didn’t produce much when on the field, missed a lot of tackles, and was picked on in coverage. Hopefully, being the No. 3 safety behind Fitzpatrick and Elliott allows him to settle back into a solid role once again.
7. IOL
Even with losing veteran Nate Herbig for the season, I still like what the Steelers have here on the interior of the offensive line. While Isaac Seumalo is injured to open the season, he shouldn’t miss any time. Fortunately for the Steelers, there is some sound depth in place with the likes of Spencer Anderson and rookie Mason McCormick, both of whom had strong summers and preseasons.
At center, Zach Frazier has a high ceiling, too, and is an upgrade over what the Steelers have had in the past at the center position post-Maurkice Pouncey. Once Seumalo gets back healthy, this group should look quite solid, especially with the dependable James Daniels at right guard.
8. QB
This is lower than last year despite the upgrades of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen compared to Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky, but the fact that the QBs are three spots lower than last year speaks volumes about the improvements elsewhere the roster, in my mind.
Wilson and Fields might be a concern for others, and that’s understandable, but they are solid fits for the Steelers overall under Smith and should be just fine for Pittsburgh. Allen is a solid, experienced veteran, too. Regardless of who is on the field between Wilson and Fields at any point in the season, they should both be better than what the Steelers got for much of the season in 2023.
That will be huge for Pittsburgh.
9. SPECIALISTS
After ranking last in these rankings last September, the addition of punter Cameron Johnston really gives the Steelers’ specialists a boost. He boomed punts all summer long and in the preseason, showing off his leg and being able to flip the field. The problem is, the Steelers might not have the coverage units to back up Johnston’s big leg. That’ll be something to watch moving forward.
Kicker Chris Boswell wasn’t all that solid this summer, but he remains one of the best in the game. Hopefully, he can lock in. Same for long-snapper Christian Kuntz. He had a high snap in the preseason and had some issues in recent years with snaps. But when he’s right, he is very solid overall.
Johnston could be a game-changer for the Steelers, though. Literally.
10. OT
I like what the Steelers did this offseason, drafting Troy Fautanu out of Washington. But everything outside of that has been somewhat concerning. Dan Moore Jr. continues to rep at left tackle and seemingly held off Broderick Jones there, leading Jones to see a ton of snaps in training camp and the preseason. It’s unclear what position Jones will play ahead of the season until Fautanu returns from a knee injury.
Even in preseason, Jones was a mess at right tackle and is dealing with an elbow injury. Fautanu wasn’t all that good in 25 preseason snaps either before his knee injury shelved him. Moore was rather solid throughout the summer, which is a credit to him. But it’s hard to feel all that good about OT right now.
I fully expect that to change later on in the year, though. The talent is there, and the Steelers have invested heavily.
11. CB
Joey Porter Jr. appears poised for a monster second season after putting together a terrific rookie season, performing like a lock-down cornerback right out of the gate. He has all the tools at his disposal and could be one of the top cornerbacks in the game before the season is done.
Donte Jackson was a good addition that the Steelers had been chasing for a few years. If he can stay healthy, he profiles as a steady No. 2 opposite Porter. The problem here is depth. Cory Trice Jr. is very intriguing, but his health is a huge question. He also has no regular-season NFL experience.
Darius Rush has just 39 career NFL snaps, too. That’s a big ask from the Steelers for him to be a potential No. 3 or 4 cornerback immediately. Then, there’s rookie UDFA Beanie Bishop Jr. at slot cornerback. He seemingly backed into the top job at the position with Cameron Sutton’s suspension and Grayland Arnold’s injury.
There’s a lot to like with the younger pieces, but they need to prove it, and the only way to do that is to get some playing time. It seems like there will be some growing pains coming here.
12. WR
George Pickens is a bonafide No. 1 receiver, but after that, the Steelers might be in some dire straights at the receiver position. Pickens should be able to handle a heavy load with plenty of targets coming his way, but he’ll need others to step up around him to take some pressure off.
Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller are experienced NFL receivers with big-game resumes. But injuries have hindered them in recent years. If they can be serviceable, the Steelers should be just fine. Staying healthy and taking advantage of the targets that come their way is key, though.
Rookie Roman Wilson has a high ceiling, too, but the early training camp injury set him back a bit. Once his legs are back underneath him, he should be a fixture for the Steelers. Calvin Austin III should have a role offensively this year, too. It’s Year 3 for him. WRs coach Zach Azzanni has praised him quite a bit this summer. It’s time to see that translate onto the field in games.
