QB(2): Ben Roethlisberger (voidable), Mason Rudolph
The position casual fans have at the top of the needs list. It’s not a strong draft class for QB’s and the free agent talent is second-tier at best. Names like Aaron Rodgers (2022 cap hit: $47 million) and Russell Wilson (2022 cap hit: $36 million) would turn heads, but they’re under contract and any trade package will almost certainly demand multiple first-round picks. This team has too many holes to throw multiple premium picks at a single position.
At this point I think the most likely scenario is a swan song for Ben. If Ben isn’t back, I think they’ll bring in a free agent (think Tyrod Taylor, Teddy Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett) and have him compete with Mason for QB1. It’s not what I WANT to happen, but it gives them the flexibility to fill out the rest of the roster.
RB(4): Najee Harris, Benny Snell Jr, Anthony McFarland, Derek Watt
Not much to add here, unless you want to swap out McFarland for another change-of-pace back in the late rounds. Benny Snell hasn’t contributed much offensively but his value to the team is special teams, another aspect of the game casual fans overlook.
WR(3): Juju Smith-Schuster (voidable), Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson
Juju bet on himself and came back to Pittsburgh on a one-year “prove it” deal. While he has always been the team’s primary third down target, Ben had trouble connecting with him deep early in the year, then he was lost for the year to a separated shoulder suffered against the Bengals. He’s already spoken about maximizing his value in free agency; it’s possible the team moves a little towards his camp’s side in negotiations considering how thin they are at his position, but I don’t see a long-term deal coming.
Regardless of Juju’s future, I think WR is the team’s greatest area of need. They’ll need to add in free agency and the draft. The WR free agency class is strong and deep: headlined by names like Davante Adams, Odell Beckham Jr, Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson. More economical options include Emanuel Sanders, Sammy Watkins and DeSean Jackson. The most intriguing names for burners in the draft are Jahan Dotson out of Penn State and OSU’s Chris Olave.
TE(3): Eric Ebron (voidable), Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry
Eric Ebron hasn’t garnered more than three targets in any game this year. His cap number would be just under $4 million next year, but that number is set to void just after this year’s Super Bowl. Freiermuth and Gentry will make less than $1.5 million combined next year.
The team feels Freiermuth is ready to take the TE1 perch and Gentry has taken the strides as a blocker needed to solidify his roster spot. They also have Kevin Rader on the practice squad, and FB Derek Watt has probably lined up more as an H-back than a fullback this year. They may add a depth piece, but this is one of the easier position groups to project.
OT(3): Zach Banner, Dan Moore Jr, Joe Haeg
Dan Moore has been a mixed bag at LT, but the Steelers had enough faith in him to leave him on an island with Myles Garrett most of the Cleveland game. I think they want to give him a chance to grow.
Banner is tied to the RT spot, so his value as a swing guy is limited. Haeg can play anywhere along that line and is set to earn less than half of Banner’s hefty $6.6 million price tag. If Banner doesn’t start next year, he could be a cap casualty.
Chukwuma Okorafor has quietly been the best pass-blocker on the team this year; I especially enjoyed watching his work against Von Miller in the Broncos game. That performance won Okorafor the RT job, and it’s why Zach Banner hasn’t played yet.
I’d like to see Okorafor back. If Moore takes a step back Chuks can kick over to the left side, allowing Banner to step in at his native RT spot. You’d feel pretty good about Moore and Haeg as your depth. If that doesn’t happen – or even if it does – OT could be a mid-round target.
IOL(2): Kevin Dotson, Kendrick Green
Dotson’s LG spot is the only OL position I see as crystallized moving into 2022. I like Kendrick Green as a mauler, but I don’t need to see him snap the ball if it can be avoided. I’d kick him out to RG – he played the left at Illinois – and target a center early in the draft. I’m thinking Tyler Linderbaum out of Iowa.
That takes care of your starters. Joe Haeg also offers depth at guard, but BJ Finney and JC Hassenauer are unrestricted free agents after this season. They’ve both logged significant tape for the Steelers; they’ll probably at least test free agency. In addition to the draft pick, look for another center-capable guard as a veteran free agent pickup.
DT(3): Tyson Alualu, Isaiah Buggs, Carlos Davis
DE(4): Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Chris Wormley, Isaiahh Loudermilk
Some have projected DL as one of the highest needs, but they just need to get guys healthy. Tuitt and Davis haven’t played at all this year due to injury, and Alualu went down for the year in the fifth quarter of the season. Buggs has flashed in the expanded role he’s been tasked with, but has also been over-exposed at times. He can be a valuable piece in a deeper rotation.
The Steelers had the chance to trade for DT Fletcher Cox before the deadline, but balked at the deal when Philly asked for a third-round pick. Cox is under control through 2023, so Pittsburgh’s unwillingness to part with a third-rounder for two-and-a-half years of a perennial pro-bowler speaks to their confidence in the guys on the roster.
EDGE(2): TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith
The Melvin Ingram experiment taught us this team is all-in on the Watt/Highsmith tandem, but they can’t play every snap for 17 games. They need to add at least two: one for rotation and one for depth.
Pittsburgh took Highsmith in the third round to back up Watt and Dupree; I could see spending another mid-rounder on a third head for that EDGE-rushing monster. There may be a veteran addition to the unit, and probably an RFA camp darling as well.
ILB(4): Devin Bush, Joe Schobert, Ulysses Gilbert III, Buddy Johnson
Another unit with a high projected need; I guess they’re expecting Bush to not make the 53 in ‘22. I remain higher on him than most fans and, quite frankly, his recent tape warrants I should be. I think back to that fantastic interception he had against the Ravens in 2019 and expect that Devin Bush to return.
Any addition here will likely be a mid- to late-rounder. I don’t think they’ll spend much after bringing in Joe Schobert this past preseason, but the top free agent name this Spring is Dont’a Hightower. The Steelers were involved in him after his rookie contract expired with New England, so who knows.
CB(3): Cam Sutton, Justin Layne, James Pierre
Joe Haden’s cap number is over $15.5 million this year. I wouldn’t hate having him back but at that number? Salud, god bless, let the guy go chase a Lombardi after being marooned in Cleveland the first half of his career.
They need to add at least two, and one of those needs to be a starter. Considering the Steelers’ history drafting pedigree corners I’m looking at the FA market seeing names like Stephon Gilmore, Kyle Fuller and Patrick Peterson. They’re projected to have between $30-40 million in cap space; if they’re going to spend this is the position to do it.
S(2): Minkah Fitzpatrick, Tre Norwood
Terrell Edmunds may have done enough this year to play his way around the risky fifth-year option (just ask Juju about getting hurt in a contract year) and into a long-term deal. Especially considering the weak free agent class, I think the Steelers lock him up.
If not I love Jaquan Brisker from Penn State. He’s solid down low and has the coverage ability to roam deep. The flexibility a guy like that could bring paired with a guy like FS Minkah Fitzpatrick boggles the mind.
Miles Killebrew has two blocked punts this year. One has to presume that all but locks up a return to camp next season. He’s obviously a great special teams player; he’s also a good depth piece,
Specialists(2): Chris Boswell, Presley Harvin III
The most stable unit. LS Christian Kuntz is an ERFA this Spring but we haven’t heard his name all year, which means he’s an above-the-line player. No reason to expect him to not return.
Needs, ranked:
Tier 1: WR(3), IOL(2), CB(2)
Tier 2: EDGE(2), QB
Tier 3: S(2), T
Steely Cam 