It’s the goal of every team – to be better now than you were the year before – but in the National Football League’s salary cap era, this isn’t always true. The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the 2022 season winning their final four games and six of their final seven to finish at 9-8. How they got there involved improved play, weaker opponents and guys making plays when needed. Now however, we are onto 2023 and the question, with the Draft less than three weeks away is… Are the Steelers better than they were when last season ended.
Offensively
There’s no question the expectation of Kenny Pickett is that he will be better, in literally every facet of playing QB. The backfield tandem of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will be better and the interior of the line, with the additions of Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig will be better too.
The questions will revolve around two key positions, the offensive tackles and the wide receiving corps. Both Dan Moore, Jr and Chuks Okorafor should be better, yet both remain significant question marks both in pass protection and in run blocking. The top two receiver positions are locked in with George Pickens and Diontae Johnson but who else contributes? No one knows what Calvin Austin III will offer having not played a single snap in his rookie campaign and Steven Sims is gone. Does Mike Tomlin really plan to turn to Gunner Olszewski or Cody White?
The tight end position is solid with Zach Gentry returning to play behind Pat Freiermuth while Connor Heyward proved that he can be a bit of a ‘Swiss Army knife’ for the offense.
Verdict: I’d say the Steelers are actually better offensively. This does not suggest that they’re going to score 30 points per game, but let’s think about this for a minute. Mike Tomlin clearly wants to get back to running the ball which means the lack of high level tackles and big-time third receivers might not be missed that much. Two-tight end formations were deployed a lot as well taking some of the heat off of needing an explosive third receiver.
Defensively
The Steelers made zero bones about the fact that they needed to get better at linebacker, but did they? Gone are Devin Bush, Robert Spillane and Myles Jack. The new arrivals are Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts. A healthy Myles Jack is better than any of these guys but he can’t stay healthy so the point is moot. Whether Holcomb and Roberts are athletic enough to get the job done will be a major question entering the season.
The defensive line gets Larry Ogunjobi back and Breiden Fehoko comes in to help the run defense but this is still a unit that has to be more than just Cam Heyward. Demarvin Leal demonstrated great versatility in his rookie campaign but other reserves have to step up. The two starters on the edge, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, are as good as any duo in the NFL but there is very little behind them.
The defensive secondary is where this unit is really questionable. Minkah Fitzpatrick is a perennial all-pro who is at his best when those around him are capable of letting him “do his thing.” Keanu Neal is a nice addition but he’s a step down from Terrell Edmunds. The cornerbacks got more experienced, but did they get better with 33-year old Patrick Peterson? Levi Wallace had a very up and down 2022 and while Arthur Maulet plays as hard as anyone, an upgrade there would be vital to the defense’s success.
Verdict: The Steelers are not better on defense right now. They must add cornerback help, depth on the EDGE and more defensive line help too. In a conference with Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen etc, they must not only be able to pressure the QB but they have to be able to cover guys in the secondary too. My level of confidence is waning so the Draft better help this situation significantly.
In all honesty, asking the question is unfair simply because the Draft has yet to take place. But what the question does do is highlight just how crucial this Draft is for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With four selections in the first 80 picks, they must find starters and contributors. They do not have the luxury of drafting a ‘project’ or a guy that will benefit them in a few years. They need playmakers now, especially on defense.