There’s one recurring theme for the flurry of sometimes unpredictable and unexpected moves the Pittsburgh Steelers have made this offseason: physical playmakers. With how 2024 ended, those were two clear goals Pittsburgh wanted to upgrade. More physicality to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. To break more tackles, wear down the opposition, and avoid getting bullied like they did during last season’s five-game losing skid. More playmaking is needed to avoid long-slog drives offensively while creating a bigger and more consistent splash than a season ago.
Omar Khan, rare to tip his hand, publicly admitted the need for playmaking. After the draft, Mike Tomlin noted the need for physicality, citing the Baltimore Ravens game as a failure point that created the need to change. Both were correct.
The significant moves reflected that. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will breathe more life into a Steelers’ passing game that has been dormant for most of the last three seasons. He’ll work to all levels of the field, get the ball to his playmakers, and his arm—so long as he has a clean pocket—is live enough to still challenge defenses downfield.
The other offensive additions emphasize the point even more. Wide receiver DK Metcalf is the main attraction, a blockbuster move to jumpstart the offseason. A perfect fit in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s system, the Steelers’ version of A.J. Brown, Metcalf checks all the boxes. A freak athlete in stature and speed, he’s an alpha who bullies defenses. As a receiver, he can run past or through. As a blocker, he’s ferocious and plays all-out regardless of whether the ball is coming his way.
Jonnu Smith offers similar at tight end. He isn’t the freak Metcalf is, but he plays with a hard edge and makes plays downfield and post-catch. Coming off a career season in Miami, he’s a familiar and proven force in OC Smith’s scheme.
Two stats show how he hits the right notes. Since being drafted in 2017, Smith ranks third among all tight ends in 40-plus receptions. His eight catches only trail George Kittle (18) and Travis Kelce (14). That’s the playmaking. Over the last three years, no tight end has broken more tackles than Smith’s 23. That’s the physicality.
Defensively, we saw the same. After spending the past two drafts beefing up the offensive line, attention turned to the defensive line and front seven this April. Three of the team’s first four selections addressed those units, beginning with first-rounder DL Derrick Harmon. A prototypical Steelers’ defensive lineman, Harmon is strong and an effective pass rusher. His game has room to grow, but the intent is clear. Beef up the middle.
From the secondary, Jalen Ramsey brings a similar vibe. An impact player at every level, he plays the run, blitzes the quarterback, and takes the ball away in coverage. Versatile, big, and playing with a physical edge, Ramsey is a versatile scheme fit with (loose) shades of Rod Woodson. My reservations about the trade exist, but in the vacuum of hitting the offseason goals, it clicks.
Nothing is guaranteed to work. The new pieces have to fit, jell, and play to their individual talents. That doesn’t always happen. But for what feels like a non-stop offseason, the Steelers’ vision and path have been aligned. Get more physical. Add playmakers. Those are the keys Pittsburgh thinks will get them over the top. Starting soon, we’ll begin to find out if they’re correct.
