When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason needs, a couple positions stand above the rest. Wide receiver. Defensive line. Corner. Of course, there’s the quarterback situation to still figure out. Though those are the Steelers’ biggest needs, as Ross McCorkle outlined Sunday, they aren’t their only needs. To kick off Monday and the nearing horizon that is free agency, here are three needs that aren’t critical but aren’t being discussed enough.
Backup safety
Minkah Fitzpatrick. DeShon Elliott. There’s your starters, no question about it. Who the heck is behind them? Depth is paper-thin. Damontae Kazee turns 32 this summer and is set to be a free agent, unlikely to return. Miles Killebrew is an ace special teamer but rarely used defensively, only seeing time in goal-line packages as the third safety in. And 2024 rookie Ryan Watts missed the entire regular season with a neck injury that seems to have his 2025 status uncertain.
If Fitzpatrick or Elliott go down, Pittsburgh’s in trouble. Adding a versatile veteran as a No. 3 is important. Potentially someone with flexibility and coverage skills to function as a sixth defensive back in dime packages. Kazee worked in dime last season, oddly often swapping spots with Elliott, while Beanie Bishop Jr. saw action there after Cam Sutton took over starting slot duties. Someone who can wear lots of hats and free up Fitzpatrick to move around the field post-snap is ideal. I’ve mentioned the New York Jets’ Ashtyn Davis as a prime candidate, especially given his college connection to new Steelers DBs Coach Gerald Alexander.
Veteran offensive tackle
Dan Moore Jr. won’t return. No surprise there. It seems the plan will be for Broderick Jones to kick over to his “natural” spot at left tackle, though by this point, he’s logged more reps on the right side than he has the left. A healthy Troy Fautanu will grab hold of the right tackle spot he was supposed to man it in 2024 before dislocating his kneecap.
Like safety, depth behind the starters is suspect. Dylan Cook had a disappointing second season with the team, spending part of it injured and the rest on the practice squad. Calvin Anderson could be re-signed cheap, but it would be nice if Pittsburgh found someone one rung above.
Not only would that protect themselves against injury but a guy like Jones needs pushed. He shouldn’t be handed a job. The team discussed the need for him to focus and get a fire lit under him, and avoiding competition, or at least the perception of it, sure won’t help. Plus, a veteran could serve a mentor-like role for still a young guy in Jones and Fautanu, even though he’s actually older than Jones.
Walking that line in free agency is tough. Offensive linemen get overpaid thanks to the FA o-line tax and those who are cheap are so for a reason. But I’ll list a couple of sensible options in my offseason wish list/free agency outlook early next month.
Adding a backup center here isn’t a bad idea, but at least Ryan McCollum held his own in two starts for Zach Frazier last season. Guard should also be considered in the draft knowing Isaac Seumalo is entering the final year of his contract.
Kick Returner
As we wrote about late last month, the Steelers’ 2024 kick return game was a disaster. Signing the most successful kick returner in Cordarrelle Patterson literal hours after the NFL passed the new kickoff format seemed like a shrewd move. The payoff didn’t come. Pittsburgh had the lowest-ranked kick return average in 2024 and was one of just four teams to post a worse average this year under the new rules compared to last year.
The Steelers don’t want to lag behind again. I haven’t done a comprehensive deep dive, but it’s hard to pinpoint a free agent name expected to be available who would help. Perhaps Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Ford if the team cuts him. The draft would be a better pool to explore. I included Toledo’s Jacquez Stuart in my first mock draft, and he led the NCAA in kick return average this past season. A late-round pick or priority free agent is worth investing in here.
