The Pittsburgh Steelers are most of the way through the first part of the offseason leading to the draft. Before we get there, we’re going to take stock of how the roster has evolved over the past several weeks. Position by position, we’ll break down who’s coming and going, along with what’s next for those rookies and those already here.
Position: Outside Linebacker
Total Positional Figure: 7
Offseason Additions: 2
Offseason Deletions: 1
Players Retained:
T.J. Watt: Watt had a bad season last year, if your only point of comparison is some idealized version of edge-rush play. The Steelers, for their part, are more than happy with his 11.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. And they are likely to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history later this offseason.
Alex Highsmith: Arguably, the Steelers have only gotten one season out of Highsmith in which his talent matched his production. His 2024 season was hampered by injury, missing six games and parts of others. In a little over 500 snaps, he still managed six tackles and nine tackles for loss with a forced fumble. But steadier health and availability would really help.
Nick Herbig: The Steelers played Nick Herbig roughly double compared to his rookie season, and he roughly doubled his production. He went from three sacks to five and a half, and two forced fumbles to four. In general, he was more successful as a pass rusher on a snap-to-snap basis. His decline in tackle numbers is due partly to his reduced role on special teams.
Jeremiah Moon: Establishing a role as a core special teamer, Moon is back with the Steelers for 2025. As it stands, he is in the driver’s seat to maintain his role as the fourth edge. In other words, he will be the one who doesn’t play if everyone else is healthy.
Julius Welschof: Following a promising training camp, the international player suffered an injury that prevented him from signing to the practice squad. The Steelers eventually waived him with an injury designation, but re-signed him to the practice squad in November. Re-signing as a Futures player at the end of the season, he will make a run at a roster spot this summer.
Eku Leota: Leota played briefly last season when the Steelers dealt with injuries to Highsmith and Herbig. He is a candidate to return to the practice squad, and they should keep one or two bodies there next season.
Players Added:
Thomas Rush: Rush worked out for the Steelers during the 2024 season but did not sign. They finally added him after the season as a Futures player. Once again, he will be another candidate to compete for a spot on the practice squad.
Players Deleted:
Preston Smith: The Steelers traded for veteran Preston Smith before the trade deadline last season. He played relatively sparingly on what was always going to be a short-term relationship. With a bloated cap number for 2025, they released him. He currently remains unsigned, so the Steelers could always swing back his way after the draft.
Notes And Draft Outlook:
With such a strong top three, the Steelers feel reasonably insulated at outside linebacker. The fourth option is really a special-teams-only role provided that they can keep the rest healthy. Moon is fit for that, blocking a punt last season and playing extensively in the third phase.
Still, it’s hard to say no to a promising pass-rusher. Don’t put it past the Steelers to take a flier on an intriguing late-round prospect. They have bigger needs at other positions, but pass rushers are too valuable to pass up.
