Steelers Now
We are back with another Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL Draft Mailbag, ladies and gentlemen! With the conclusion of the offseason program, it feels like a good time to take a step back from the heat and talk some football.
As always, I sincerely appreciate all of the questions that you all provided, as they made for some outstanding talking points to help pass the time until training camp arrives. Here we go.
Q: What will T.J. Watt look like in Patrick Graham’s defense? Will he still be chipped and double-teamed at a ridiculously high rate?
A: Even though he’s no longer at the apex of his powers, T.J. Watt is still a good player with innate playmaking ability, so it’s safe to assume that opposing offensive coordinators are going to devote additional resources to slowing him down. The reason those chips have been so effective is because he’s a speed rusher that wins primarily high-side, and as his athleticism has faded a bit, he hasn’t quite been able to add counters to his game to combat that.
It’s no substitute for game-changing plays, but his gravity is still valuable, just difficult to quantify. He seems more open to moving around this year, but it might make more sense for them to utilize Nick Herbig in that role because he’s just better suited for it. All in all, I’m cautiously optimistic that Patrick Graham will bring about a more modern approach and give everyone, including Watt, a boost as a result.
Q: What do you think are the pros and cons of the Steelers’ current team-building philosophy?
A: They’ve always put a premium on pass rushers during my lifetime, and outside of quarterback play, there’s an argument that being able to get home with four is the next most important ingredient to a championship squad. I’ve always admired how they’ve been able to find outliers of some sort, with Herbig being the latest example, that have the position-critical traits to create chaos even without the ideal measurements. Throughout the Omar Khan/Andy Wiedl era, they’ve invested premium draft capital in extremely athletic and highly skilled offensive linemen with high ceilings. That’s always going to be a strong formula for success in the long run.
The entire construction of the passing game has been a mess during the 2020s, and having arguably the league’s worst wide receiver room in a two-year stretch is unacceptable. They continue to roll with very rigid quarterbacks that put such strict limitations on how they can attack defenses through the air. Overall, I think my biggest gripe has been the lack of ambition towards escaping the middle class of the league or timeline navigation. The standard seems to have shifted from contending for trophies to merely being content with maximizing whatever is on the roster that particular year.
To end on a positive note: I do think the organization will finally begin to prioritize offense over defense under Mike McCarthy, which will be a breath of fresh air...
