ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put together another iteration of his NFL playmaker rankings, and the Pittsburgh Steelers took a slight jump in the rankings from last year. After finishing 27th last season, the Steelers moved up to No. 21.
Barnwell believes DK Metcalf is an upgrade over George Pickens but questioned just how high his ceiling is.
“Are the Steelers different? Yes. Are they better? Maybe a tiny bit,” Barnwell wrote. “DK Metcalf is certainly a more reliable option than the now-departed George Pickens as the lead receiver, but after Metcalf’s 1,303-yard season in 2020, he has averaged 1,030 yards per campaign and right above 2.0 yards per route run, producing at about the same rate as Michael Pittman Jr. and Amari Cooper. Those are good wideouts, but there’s a perception that Metcalf’s upside from 2020 looks more like a career outlier than a realistic expectation of what he’s likely to do going forward.”
As for the rest of the receiving corps, Barnwell is tepid about the expectations for WR Roman Wilson due to his injury-shortened rookie year, but he believes that Robert Woods and Ben Skowronek could look good in a run-heavy offense. He also believes Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith will be one of the best tight end duos in the league.
Barnwell also sees the Steelers’ running back room as better, calling the loss of Najee Harris “addition by subtraction.” If Kaleb Johnson can be more efficient than Harris was, Barnwell thinks the Steelers could have their best offense in years.
“Rookie third-rounder Kaleb Johnson will take over the big-back role, but if he can be more efficient than Harris as the 1B as opposed to the 1A, Pittsburgh could finally have the consistent offensive attack it has sought since Ben Roethlisberger suffered an elbow injury in 2019,” Barnwell wrote.
The Steelers made an effort to add offensive talent with the acquisitions of Metcalf and Smith. Trading George Pickens weakens their offense, but Metcalf as a 1-to-1 replacement for him is an upgrade, while Smith gives the Steelers another reliable receiving tight end to pair with Pat Freiermuth. With Darnell Washington in the fold and the Steelers’ penchant for running 13 personnel under Arthur Smith, he’ll also give the Steelers the capability to play better in heavy sets, an underrated aspect of his addition.
Harris struggled with efficiency during his time in Pittsburgh, and Warren has been the more efficient back over the past three years. If that keeps up in a bigger role, the Steelers’ run game should be better, especially with a runner like Johnson, who could excel in Arthur Smith’s zone scheme.
There are still questions about the wide receivers behind Metcalf, but the room looks better, especially if Wilson can stay healthy and No. 2 WR Calvin Austin III can take another leap after his breakout year in 2024. No. 21 is a fair ranking given what we know about the Steelers’ offense, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they outperformed their ranking if Aaron Rodgers can form a connection with Metcalf and the ground game improves.
