What are the Steelers’ greatest strengths and weaknesses on offense?
Heading into training camp, what are the Steelers’ biggest strengths? In this two-part series, we’ll be power ranking Pittsburgh’s position groups on both offense and defense, starting with the former.
Invert the ranking, and you get an idea of the team’s offensive needs heading into the new season:
5. Wide receiver
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Rostered: D.K. Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Robert Woods, Ben Skowronek, Scotty Miller, Roc Taylor, Brandon Johnson, Ke’Shawn Williams, Montana Lemonious-Craig, Lance McCutcheon
Listing the bottom two of this list was difficult as there’s a good chance either one could be the Steelers’ worst position group — not just on offense — in 2025. Ultimately, the wide receiver room lands at fifth as it’s the roster spot where the Steelers could most easily add a new starter before the season begins.
D.K. Metcalf is a good WR1 — likely the Steelers’ best offensive player — and an upgrade over George Pickens. But he’s not in the tier of elite wide receivers who instantly elevate an offense. He’s talented, but not transformative.
Behind Metcalf, Calvin Austin III is an up-and-coming role player with size limitations at 5’8, 170 pounds. After that, there’s 2024 third-rounder Roman Wilson and his five career NFL snaps, a handful of veterans who would be WR4s at best on most NFL teams, and some intriguing undrafted talent.
A better than expected year for Metcalf, Austin, and/or Wilson could easily elevate this group, but overall there’s a glaring lack of star power, depth, and past production. If Metcalf goes down, the offense is in big trouble.
4. Offensive line
Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images
Rostered: Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Troy Fautanu, Dylan Cook, Calvin Anderson, Spencer Anderson, Max Scharping, Nick Broeker, Ryan McCollum, Doug Nester, Steven Jones, Gareth Warren, Aiden Williams
The offensive line avoids last place in this exercise as its ceiling might be the highest of the Steelers’ offensive position groups. But the floor is subterranean.
At the very least, second-year center Zach Frazier looks like a longtime high-end starter. But the Steelers are betting big on 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones to finally provide starting-caliber play as he switches back to his college position of left tackle ahead of the new season.
Jones was the weak spot in both the run and passing game in an already underwhelming Steelers offense last season, and he’s moving to an even more pivotal role for 2025.
Elsewhere, the Steelers’ O-line has more promise, but the group is still overwhelmingly young — four of the five starters have two years or less of NFL experience. Right tackle Troy Fautanu hasn’t even played a full regular season game, while right guard Mason McCormick is expected to take a big leap in Year 2 — as a rookie, he showed upside, but at times looked the part of a small-school fourth-rounder suddenly thrust into a starting role.
Depth is also a worry. Even if the starting five play up to their draft pedigrees, the Steelers don’t have any names behind them who could confidently start in a pinch. Like wide receiver, a top player like Zach Frazier or Troy Fautanu going down could quickly spell disaster.
The Steelers have poured a lot of resources into this group: two first-rounders, one second rounder, a fourth-rounder, and an $8 million-per-year free agent guard. There’s definitely talent up front. Whether or not the team can develop it is the question, and O-line coach Pat Meyer hasn’t done enough in his first three years with the team to spark confidence entering the new season.
On paper, this group should be better than the Steelers’ second-worst offensive position group. But it’ll have to be seen on-field to be believed.
3. Quarterback
Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images
Rostered: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Skylar Thompson
Aaron Rodgers has his own set of what-ifs in 2025, but he played a full slate of games last year, making his season projection a bit more solid than the many question marks at wide receiver and offensive line.
In the tail end of his 2024, Rodgers looked the part of an aging Hall of Famer — not an elite game-changer anymore, but he still had some tricks up his sleeve and an impressive arm. In short, it was league-average quarterback play with a Rodgers flair.
And unlike the two previous position groups, the Steelers quarterback room comes with some solid depth. Preseason hype for Will Howard aside, Mason Rudolph has led the Steelers to a playoff berth off the bench before in his prior stint with the team.
2. Tight end
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Rostered: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, D.J. Thomas-Jones, J.J. Galbreath
This ranking felt a tad high for the Steelers’ tight ends at first. But ultimately, it’s easier to project this group to perform at or above league average than the team’s quarterbacks, wide receiver room, or offensive line over the course of the upcoming season.
While not elite, the Steelers have a respectable one-two punch on the top of the depth chart with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. Freiermuth is a solid receiving threat who’s been underutilized over his Pittsburgh career, while Washington is one of the better blockers league-wide at his position.
Freiermuth was the Steelers’ second-best pass-catcher in terms of yardage last season with 653 yards. He was also first in receiving touchdowns (seven) and receptions (65) despite playing in an offense that was generally allergic to passing in the middle of the field.
However, the Steelers run a lot of 12 and 13 personnel, and the depth at tight end doesn’t seem to match Arthur Smith’s heavy usage of the position. Connor Heyward has put together a good NFL career for a former sixth-round pick, but his six receptions for 40 yards last season don’t exactly show an impact receiver, and at 6’0, 230 pounds, he’s not an imposing blocker.
Undrafted free agents D.J. Thomas-Jones and J.J. Galbreath are intriguing names, but their draft pedigree tempers expectations. The Steelers’ tight ends look like a good, but hardly great position group entering the new season.
1. Running back
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Rostered: Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell, Cordarrelle Patterson, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull, Max Hurleman
Running back takes the top spot but it’s not a confident No. 1. Jaylen Warren has looked more efficient and explosive than former starter Najee Harris over the last three seasons, but the former undrafted free agent still has to prove he can handle RB1 duties.
Kaleb Johnson, the team’s third-round draft pick, is a bigger running back who was a workhorse for Iowa in 2024. Johnson is set to play in an ideal scheme in Arthur Smith’s zone running offense, but he’s yet to take an NFL snap.
It’s a fairly deep group, at least. Kenneth Gainwell was a receiving and rushing threat as the Super Bowl-winning Eagles’ RB2 last season, while the veteran Cordarrelle Patterson averaged 4.2 yards per carry in 2024 and remains a solid option if a name ahead of him suffers a preseason injury. Even Trey Sermon, a 2021 third-rounder, is an interesting name to have in training camp.
Like the rest of the Steelers’ offensive position groups, there’s not a true world-beater at running back. However, it’s not among the team’s chief worries entering the 2025 season, which is good enough for first place.