Steelers Now
Welcome back, Steelers and NFL Draft fanatics! With the NFL preseason reaching its conclusion and week one just days upon us, it felt like the ideal time to talk some ball and answer a few questions. As always, I sincerely appreciate everyone that took the time to make submissions for this article because it’s something that I really enjoy putting together on a monthly basis. Without further ado, here we go!
Q: Should the Steelers take a swing on Jakobi Meyers knowing that he’s asking for an extension? What makes him different from the guys they already have in the receiver room?
A: The answer is unequivocally yes. Among those reasons, Meyers has been one of the most consistent complimentary pass catchers for quite some time now and is coming off his first 1,000-yard campaign despite missing a couple of games while also suffering through dreadful quarterback play. He’s got good size with great hands to make plays in traffic, can win versus man coverage from all three positions (X, Z & Slot), and is a willing run blocker that can play in a condensed split for them. Meyers is very different stylistically from anyone else they currently employ on the roster, with his most glaring weakness being that he’s not an extraordinary athlete that doesn’t create a ton of explosive plays, but the Steelers have a plethora of team speed. What they need most is a chain mover. I understand the qualms over forking over draft capital, but it’s difficult to imagine Pittsburgh’s passing game being very dangerous as currently constructed.
Q: Do you agree with keeping Yahya Black at three-technique? It feels like he could be a dominant presence at nose tackle, while Keeanu Benton would benefit from bumping out to end.
A: Since he was coming out of Wisconsin, I thought that Benton could play either role, with my preference being an upfield penetrator rather than a space-eating presence over the center. He’s obviously not built like a traditional plugger, although some of his deficiencies in the run game are more related to block recognition and fundamentals, not sheer mass. Year three is naturally a big year for him, with him being extension eligible in the spring as Pittsburgh prepares for life in a post-Cam Heyward reality. That being said, the Steelers’ nickel rate should see a boom in 2025 with the addition of Jalen Ramsey, meaning fewer snaps with fronts that require someone aligning head-up on the center.
Black was honestly one of the more eye-opening surprises of the entire preseason regardless of team affiliation. All of the things that made him an intriguing prospect from a run defense standpoint, from his ability to create knockpoint at the point of attack or collect blocks to free up teammates, seemed to immediately translate in a small sample size. The flashes as a pass rusher were rather shocking because that wasn’t on his Iowa tape at all either. I certainly think he has the skill set to play...
