So far, the Pittsburgh Steelers have taken some bold decisions to open the 2024 NFL season. To the optimistic Steelers fan, the team appears to have addressed some of the most frustrating issues of 2023.
Russell Wilson (at a reasonable price) and Justin Fields are major upgrades over last year’s quarterbacks.
Bringing in former Raven Patrick Queen strengthens a middle linebacker corps decimated by injuries in 2023.
Cordarrelle Patterson will bring a spark on special teams, especially given the revisions to kickoff rules in 2024. He has the potential to make a difference on offense aswell.
Donte Jackson (CB), Quez Watkins (WR), DeShon Elliott (S), Van Jefferson (WR), and Dean Lowry (DE) all have experience as starters and will contribute.
However, with only a few weeks of free agency remaining and the draft approaching, the Pittsburgh Steelers will still have to deal with a few significant personnel situations.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still looking to fill four positions.
Center
The Steelers have failed to find a reliable center since Maurkice Pouncey departed in 2021. The team released last year’s starter Mason Cole in February and has yet to fill his slot. Given the position’s importance and Pittsburgh’s offseason decisions thus far, this appearsodd.
As of this writing, only one center is listed on the official Pittsburgh Steelers roster. That’s Ryan McCollum, a player with limited experience.
With the rest of the offensive line pretty much set, the center is an important roster spot the Steelers will need to address sooner or later. As they say, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the center position could be the link that prevents the Steelers from making a Super Bowl run.
Wide Receiver
George Pickens is a lock at WR1, but the Steelers have yet to fill the void they created when they traded Diontae Johnson to Carolina. The current roster features a handful of good receivers, but not that one player who appears capable of stepping up as a solid WR2. Pittsburgh added some defense-stretching speed when they brought in Watkins, but they already had a legitimate deep threat in Calvin Austin III.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will add more faces to the wide receivers room via free agency and the draft, and possibly another big signing could be in the works. Though it wouldn’t be the ideal solution, they could also fill the WR2 spot by committee, with Watkins, Jefferson, and Austin playing specific roles depending on the situation.
Cornerback
Joey Porter, Jr., a rookie cornerback, performed well in 2023 and will most likely start, but there is no clear leader for the opposite corner. This is another position where Pittsburgh appears to have a couple players that are capable but not quite the right fit.
Donte Jackson, a newcomer, is a possible candidate. He has started over 70 games in the NFL and should be able to handle the job. Still, if you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, you’d like to see an improvement at CB2.
Better yet, a well-known CB1 will mentor youthful Joey Porter Jr.
Safety
Communication breakdowns and missed assignments in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary will cost the team in 2023. Free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is coming off another Pro Bowl season, but finding the proper man at strong safety has been difficult.
The Steelers terminated Keanu Neal after he failed a physical in March. In 2023, he started nine games before being placed on injured reserve due to a rib ailment. His successor, Damontae Kazee, returns in 2024, and the Steelers have signed DeShon Elliott, who has started 50 games in his career.
Again, Kazee or Elliott could be decent starters, but this is another area where the Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn’t mind seeing an upgrade.
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