So far, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made some bold moves at the start of the 2024 NFL year. To the optimistic Steelers fan, it appears that the team has handled some of the most frustrating problems of 2023.
Russell Wilson (at a bargain price) and Justin Fields are significant upgrades to the quarterback position from a year ago.
Bringing in former Raven Patrick Queen bolsters a middle linebacker group destroyed by injury in 2023.
Cordarrelle Patterson will provide a spark on special teams, especially considering the changes to the kickoff rules for 2024. He can also be a difference-maker on offense.
Donte Jackson (CB), Quez Watkins (WR), DeShon Elliott (S), Van Jefferson (WR), and Dean Lowry (DE) all have experience as starters and will contribute.
But with a few weeks left in free agency and the draft on the horizon, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have a few problematic roster issues they’ll need to deal with.
4 Positions the Pittsburgh Steelers Still Need to Fill
Center
The Steelers have struggled to find a solid performer at center since Maurkice Pouncey retired in 2021. The team released last year’s starter Mason Cole in February and has yet to make a move to fill his spot. This seems surprising, given the importance of the position and the choices Pittsburgh has made so far this offseason.
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
Rookie cornerback Joey Porter, Jr. came on strong in 2023 and will probably fill one of the starting spots, but there appears to be no clear frontrunner for the opposite corner. This is another position where Pittsburgh seems to have a few players who are good enough, but not quite the guy they are looking for.
Newcomer Donte Jackson is a possibility. He has started over 70 games in his NFL career, and could probably get the job done. Still, if you are a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, you wouldn’t mind seeing an upgrade at CB2.
Better yet, a big-name CB1 to mentor young Joey Porter Jr.
Safety
Communication issues and blown assignments in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary cost the team in 2023. Free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is coming off another Pro Bowl season, but finding the right player at strong safety has proven challenging.
The Steelers released Keanu Neal after he failed a physical earlier this March. He started nine games in 2023 before a rib injury landed him on injured reserve. His replacement, Damontae Kazee, returns in 2024, and the Steelers have brought in DeShon Elliott who has started in 50 games throughout 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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