The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a berth in the NFL 2023 postseason – but only narrowly, after finishing third in the AFC North. Their season was abruptly ended, though, with a heavy defeat against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
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Steelers' Najee Harris during a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
With a new season having arrived on their doorstep, and with some fresh new faces on the roster, the Steelers will be striving for a little further progress in this campaign. Will the new roster additions help things fall into place from an offensive perspective, and which of the new faces could help lift the Steelers during the 2024 NFL season?
Pittsburgh’s biggest changes this year have been in the quarterback position, with the arrival of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in the pivotal spot that could make or break their playoff ambitions. One thing is for sure, however – as the Steelers step into the 2024 campaign with optimism, there are still some areas of uncertainty.
Russell Wilson vs Justin Fields
Still waiting to make his debut for the Steelers, nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson is going to have a lot on his shoulders this season. He has been specifically added to bring that extra dimension to the Steelers’ attack, and during the preseason, he was handed the starting QB role.
But injury swung things back to Justin Field, another franchise newcomer. Having moved over from the Chicago Bears, Fields is keen on getting a fresh start and was happy enough to join, even though Pittsburgh had already picked up Wilson.
Time is on his side still at just 25 years old, but with the injury setback for Wilson, Fields is going to get an early chance to shine. It is a fantastic chance for him to stamp his authority on the team out of the gate, and he could cause Wilson to have to earn that starting role back. The competition between the two newcomers could pay dividends for the Steelers, and the QB position is going to be the one under the most scrutiny at the end of the day.
After their fire sale of Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph in a total revamp of their offense, the Steelers will be hoping that the risk they are taking on a completely new setup, including Russell Wilson needing to shake off two dire seasons with Denver, all pays off. At least one of their new quarterbacks has to come straight in and deliver a very strong season.
Before looking at the latest Pittsburgh futures and lines for NFL betting, the scope of change in the Steelers’ roster needs to be studied. Whether pulling towards the moneyline, spread bets or digging into player prop bets, getting an idea of the shape of the current roster is important. It can assist in spotting any potential and influential areas of improvement, as well as pinpoint weaknesses that the Steelers may carry this season.
Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun Times
Former Denver Broncos quarterback, Russell Wilson (left) and Ex-Chicago Bears signal-caller, Justin Fields (right) meet at midfield following a regular season NFL game in Chicago, IL with their prior, respective teams.
The Importance of the NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers had an ideal 2024 NFL Draft to set themselves up for their new campaign. Things worked out well for them as they addressed, with a firm focus, the serious issue that they had on the offensive line.
In 2023, the Steelers finished the campaign with -20 net points, and only the New York Jets and New England Patriots scored fewer than their overall tally of 304. It was, therefore, no secret as to what the Steelers were looking for in the draft.
With pick number 20, they took offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and center Zach Frazier in the second round. The Steelers then followed up by taking Roman Wilson, described as one of the elite players from the third-round of the draft, and all in all, Pittsburgh got some great selections. The Steelers could also benefit hugely from some of their 2023 draft additions this season.
Troy Fautanu
Arguably, if Amarius Mims had still been on the board during the 2024 NFL Draft, the Steelers would have gone with him. But Mims was selected in the 18th slot by the Cincinnati Bengals, which left Pittsburgh with Fautanu.
Taking Fautanu is still a huge positive for the Steelers’ offensive line, however. With him, Pittsburgh may have landed themselves a real breakout star. Fautanu is a versatile big guy and slots into a couple of positions on the line, potentially at tackle or guard, giving Pittsburgh great options in how they want to shape up.
The former Washington Huskies star was the 2023 Morris Trophy winner and his athletic ability for such a big man has been highly praised. He’s good against the pass rush because he is so quick to get out of his stance, and possesses great lateral movement as well. His inclusion in the lineup should be a massive benefit for the team’s quarterbacks, allowing them to play under a little less pressure.
Keeanu Benton
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was outstanding for Pittsburgh last season, having been selected at the top of the second round of the 2023 draft. Also selected in that same round was Keeanu Benton, who managed to get some important rookie time under his belt.
He wasn’t utilized as much across the season as much as Porter Jr. was, and therefore fell under his teammate’s shadow. But still, Benton’s tackle rate, pressure and eight hits on quarterbacks were good, despite playing on less than half of Pittsburgh’s snaps for the season.
Benton is projected to have a much bigger role on the team this year, so he could be lining up for a breakthrough campaign. He’s naturally disruptive and the defensive tackle should bring a fantastic quality and balance to the already strong setup.
Associated Press
Nick Herbig
Another player from the 2023 draft who is going to get more game time in 2024 is Nick Herbig. He looked impressive when he did get rookie action, and he looked formidable as a pass rusher. This is the area in which he could stand out for Pittsburgh this season.
He even topped T.J. Watt in many stats last season percentage-wise, including a sack rate of 5.1%. It’s great that Pittsburgh has been patient with both Benton and Herbig, giving them time to settle in and develop last season.
Quietly, they reached the same high standards that Joey Porter Jr. did, but without as much recognition. Benton and Herbig should be getting plenty of that this campaign, and with that, the Steelers are looking in good shape.
