The Steelers’ biggest needs
The wait is finally over.
We’ve reached the most magical time of the year for football fans across the globe as the 2024 NFL Draft is set to kick off on Thursday evening. All 32 teams will look to make the most out of this annual event and shore up any outstanding needs on their roster en route to a prospective Super Bowl run.
Among the teams with the highest number of question marks is the Steelers. Though some key additions to the roster were made during the free agency period, namely linebacker Patrick Queen, a plethora of spots still need to be filled out with new talent.
Together, let’s explore these needs in order of most pressing to least important.
Steelers biggest needs power rankings
Tier 1: Offensive tackle and cornerback
The Steelers need to address the offensive line above all else very badly. Of course, there are outstanding concerns on the interior that we’ll discuss later, but this list begins with the fact that there’s no heir apparent to former right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor on the roster right now… sort of?
2023 first-round selection Broderick Jones could certainly remain on the right side and leave Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle. It’s not as though Pittsburgh can’t take a developmental player later on and forgo Jones settling in at his natural position at left tackle for another season. Still, this is a move general manager Omar Khan needs to consider sooner rather than later.
Speaking of anchoring things on opposite sides of the field, the black and yellow need to pair Joey Porter Jr. with another corner who can help lock down the secondary. This offseason saw veterans Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan walk out the door, and Levi Wallace inked a one-year deal with the Broncos.
A reunion with either Peterson or Sullivan is still on the table, as both players are still free agents, but a forward-looking view of Pittsburgh’s defense brings into scope a glaring need here. Granted, the team did pick up corner Donte Jackson from the Panthers in the Diontae Johnson trade.
That could be enough to delay the need to take a corner to play on the outside, but there’s still a need at nickel (or slot corner) with Darius Rush currently projected as the starter.
Tier 2: Center and wide receiver
Many could argue (and rightfully so) that center belongs in the first tier of needs. The Steelers don’t currently have a lineman on the roster with experience playing center outside of guard James Daniels, and he’s fairly unlikely to make the position swap.
The reason this doesn’t appear higher on the list is that there are plenty of potential Day 2 or early Day 3 prospects (Sedrick Van Pran from Georgia comes to mind) that Pittsburgh can target if they pass on bigger names like Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson earlier in the draft. That, and the front office is very well aware of this fact with plans to take action.
Khan himself recently stated in a radio interview that “we owe it to ourselves to look at everything to try to find the next great Steelers center,” and nothing about his tenure to date should leave fans with a reason to believe he and the higher-ups will leave Detroit without a player who can plug in and play right away.
Beyond the needs at center, the receiving corps could use some attention at some point during the draft. The Steelers added some pass-catchers (notably former Rams wideout Van Jefferson) following the aforementioned trade of Diontae Johnson, though there’s still some work to do in this area. George Pickens has earned the opportunity to be the lead target in the offense, but who’s behind him in the pecking order? Tight end Pat Freiermuth and that’s about it.
Don’t be shocked to see a wide receiver hear his name called on Day 2 when it’s Pittsburgh’s time on the clock.
Tier 3: Defensive line
Last year’s second-round pick Keeanu Benton stepped up toward the end of last season and proved to be a formidable presence along the Steelers’ defensive line. He’s earned the opportunity to continue flooding gaps at nose tackle, but the rest of the line has a litany of concerns.
Not to sound overly alarmist, but it’s worth remembering that long-time stalwart Cameron Heyward is entering his 35th season, and 2024 is the final year on his contract. He’s someone likely to stick around for a swan song-type deal following this year, though Heyward’s playing career is reaching its natural conclusion soon.
Beyond Benton, there isn’t a ton of established youth along the D-line. Unless there’s an internal belief among head coach Mike Tomlin and the defensive staff that recent draft picks DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk can be part of the wave of the future, it’s probably time to address the trenches.
Are there any outstanding needs on the Steelers’ roster that you think warrant discussion? Join the Behind The Steel Curtain community and let us know in the comments!