Steelers Now
The NFL season is finally upon us, and now that we’ve all survived yet another painfully long offseason, it’s time to make some predictions. Forecasting how the year will go is certainly a difficult exercise, but that’s part of the gig, right? Right or wrong, this is a piece that I enjoy putting together each year. For full transparency, my projection was one game off last season, continuing a four-year trend of at least being in close proximity.
Consider these my final thoughts on what could go right, some areas of concern, what qualifies as a successful season, and of course, their final record.
Plain and simple: this is a unit that is flushed with talent at all three levels. The edge trio of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig are really unlike anything else in the league. They boast a deep linebacking core that should only improve with another year of chemistry, combined with the luxury of playing behind a more stout defensive line thanks to a couple of rookie investments in the trenches. This is also their deepest cornerback room in years, and I’m bullish on the idea of deploying Jalen Ramsey as a true queen on the chessboard with responsibilities that change based on need. Expectations are high, and they should be, based on this being the most expensive defense once again this fall.
On the flip side, age is a legitimate concern, with most of their household names now in their 30s. Cam Heyward, now 36 years old, has been an ageless wonder of sorts, but it feels unrealistic to expect him to play at a Defensive Player of the Year level again in 2025. The secondary has a ton of experience working in their favor, but the lack of team speed in the back end is worth keeping an eye on. Lastly, the lack of creativity from a schematic standpoint is my biggest hangup and something that could prevent them from reaching their potential again. In years past, this has been a static defense that doesn’t offer much in the form of disguise and also doesn’t create enough chaos with their rather unimaginative pressure paths.
Ultimately, I think this will be a very good defense that finishes in the top-five range, keeping them in games on a consistent basis. The talent is there for them to be more than that if Father Time doesn’t strike, but I’m hesitant to say that they’ll be a dominant group because they still feel overly talent dependent. Even if the coaching staff fails to develop a curveball, the floor is pretty high for this bunch.
The selling point offensively is that this is an ascending offensive line and intriguing collection of talent. Zach Frazier looks like a home run selection after playing like an All-Pro last season, and I truly believe that Troy Fautanu can be a special tackle in due time. DK Metcalf has been one of the league’s premium explosive...
