People around the league are starting to take notice of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Specifically, the job that General Manager Omar Khan has done over the past year. Many fans headed into this offseason cautiously optimistic, as the team finally had some cap space to work with. Additionally, Khan has shown signs of being a more aggressive GM than his predecessor, Kevin Colbert.
Don Wright / AP
Steelers former GM Kevin Colbert is still around the organization helping out, but his focus has shifted away from wins and losses on the field.
Well, some few months later, and the initial signs are encouraging. Khan accomplished his goal of beefing up the offensive line, while also shoring up the starting lineup along the defensive line. That all funneled into a successful draft class, at least on paper. Now, people around the league are taking notice. Paul Domowitch of The 33rd Team slots Pittsburgh in at No. 13.
"Good news: The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted little time improving Kenny Pickett’s protection, trading up in the first round to grab potential starting LT Broderick Jones.
Bad news: Even with the trade for Allen Robinson, the Steelers don’t have much depth at wide receiver," Domowitch said in his updated power rankings.
Wide receiver may be seen as a need down the road, perhaps even next offseason, but the acquisition of Robinson solidified their depth at the position. A lot of it depends on how Calvin Austin III does in his first NFL action, as he's now the team's No. 4. Regardless, that doesn't seem to be a concern for many fans. The Steelers did move down two spots from Domowitch's power rankings a few weeks before.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wideout Calvin Austin III's speed could be an X-factor for the offense in 2023 and beyond.
While they had a stellar draft, Aaron Rodgers was officially traded to the New York Jets, and Lamar Jackson stayed put with the Baltimore Ravens. As a result, those two teams have leapfrogged the Steelers in his updated power rankings. To be clear, the Steelers will have a lot of work to do in 2023 if they want to make the playoffs. Not only do they reside in one of the toughest divisions in football in the AFC North, but the conference as a whole is stacked.
Did the Steelers upgrade enough to make the postseason in 2023?
Three of the top four quarterbacks in this year's draft class went to the AFC South. At this point in time, the AFC creates for an unbalanced NFL. 10-7 is likely the benchmark for making the postseason, especially with three Wild Card teams now in the fold. Pro Football Focus ranks the black and gold 17th in their post-draft rankings, sitting behind all AFC North sides. NFL.com has the Steelers in 15th after the impressive draft class.
Pittsburgh will be able to prove themselves right away it seems, as it's been reported by 93.7 The Fan's Adam Crowley that they will open the season against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers possess a top-three overall roster in the league in terms of talent, so it will be a big challenge at Acrisure Stadium. As schedule leaks continue to come out throughout the day, be sure to stay up-to-date with our live updates!
What are your realistic expectations for this team in 2023? Would you take the over or under of 8.5 wins? What do they need to happen in order to become contenders? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites!
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