There has been quite a bit of moving and shaking from the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason — and there still might be one more big move to come, depending on when 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants to make a decision.
But for now, in the week ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft where the Steelers will add some good, young talent, the roster is largely set for the offseason. On paper, it has some strengths, some weaknesses, and some questions in general.
For The Athletic’s Austin Mock, who ran a projection model, which ranked all 32 rosters from best to worst ahead of the draft, the Steelers find themselves in the middle of the NFL pack.
In the projection model, the Steelers landed at No. 16 overall — the exact middle for the 32-team league. The Steelers find themselves one spot behind the Dallas Cowboys, but one spot ahead of the Miami Dolphins in the model.
“Pittsburgh is the first team on this list that doesn’t have a plan in place at quarterback heading into the draft. That obviously needs to be taken care of. Outside of QB, the defense is mostly set with a strong defensive line, though their stars are getting up there in age,” Mock writes. “They could use some cornerback help, as they rank in the bottom third of the league. On offense, trading for DK Metcalf has put the skill positions, outside of running back, in a solid spot, but the offensive tackles are a bottom-five group.
“Finding a quarterback and some OT help are a must if they want to squeeze anything out of this good but aging defense.”
It’s no secret that the Steelers need a quarterback. They’ve been waiting for Rodgers to make a decision since largely the start of the new league year back on March 12. Since there, there’s been no movement. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini even reported Wednesday that the Steelers have no updates and no real time frame on when he’ll make a decision, which is frustrating.
In the meantime, the Steelers have made some upgrades, trading for star receiver DK Metcalf and giving him a new contract. They also added veteran cornerbacks Darius Slay and Brandin Echols and threw a few bodies at their defensive line with Daniel Ekuale, Esezi Otomewu, and re-signed Isaiahh Loudermilk for depth.
Their offensive line remains a concern after losing Dan Moore Jr. and James Daniels in free agency. Broderick Jones is projected to kick back over to left tackle, and second-year pro Troy Fautanu is slated to slide into right tackle. Mason McCormick and Spencer Anderson should battle for the starting right guard job, too.
But it looks a bit concerning up front right now, at least on paper.
Couple that with an aging defense that struggled significantly down the stretch last season during a five-game losing streak, and things are real concerning for the Steelers. That could change for the better with another strong draft from GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl, and a decision from Rodgers in the near future.
