The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a busy first few weeks of the offseason. They started with a somewhat surprising signing of future Hall of Fame cornerback, Patrick Peterson on the first day after losing starting cornerback, Cam Sutton to the Detroit Lions. They have also worked to add depth and starters on their offensive line with the additions of Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig. With key linebackers being cut and leaving in free agency, the Steelers revamped their inside linebackers room as well.
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Pittsburgh Steelers resigned defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to a three-year contract helping sure up their defensive line.
However, this 2023 roster is far from complete and below we will discuss significant positions that need upgrades prior to offseason workouts starting in less than two months. The biggest need for the Steelers right now is secondary help. After losing five-year starter Terrell Edmunds to the Philadelphia Eagles last week, they currently have a large hole at the strong safety position. There is one potential free agent still available to replace Edmunds in John Johnson.
If the Steelers would prefer to save their money and invest in a player in the draft, then they would have a plethora of options. They could spend an early pick on stud safety Brian Branch, or they could wait and select some day two guys that may need some polishing before they could replace the void left by Edmunds. Either way, the opposing safety next to All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick must be addressed before workouts commence.
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Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick (39)
Are the Steelers thin at wide receiver?
Another position group that must be addressed is the wide receiver room. The Steelers traded away Chase Claypool mid-season last year and received a great return by acquiring the 32nd pick in this year's NFL Draft. Even though Claypool wasn't the same contributor he was during his rookie campaign, they really missed a tall weapon in the slot for rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett.
Pickett's progression to becoming a top tier NFL quarterback should be the main focus of the organization moving forward. In order for him to reach his potential, they must continue to surround him with play-makers at key skill positions. With veteran Diontae Johnson and second year standout George Pickens, the Steelers have constructed a powerful duo. However, if one of the aforementioned players were to get hurt, then they could be looking at a very thin receiving room.
It is imperative the Steelers add another playmaker at wide receiver before the season starts. With this current free agent class being one of the weakest at receiver in recent memory, the Steelers must rely on the draft to fill their current void. There are a couple veteran options at receiver on the open market such as Jarvis Landry or Odell Beckham Jr., but neither of those guys would move the needle for me if I were the Steelers.
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Steelers wide receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens will be tasked to produce as the big dogs in the offense next year.
The Steelers must explore options in the draft in order for an immediate impact to be achieved. There are a bevy of top wide receiver choices that the Steelers could obtain with their first three picks. Players such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison or Zay Flowers could all potentially be there when the Steelers pick at 17 or 32. It could be hard to justify taking a receiver that early in the draft, but it's clear that Pickett needs weapons and any of those players could add an immediate spark to the offense.
With the offseason dwindling down and draft season ramping up, the Steelers must continue to add to their roster. Safety and receiver are huge positions on this team and the current players on the roster must be upgraded.
Where do yinz think the Steelers need upgrades? Sound off in the comments below!
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