Steelers' Reason For Winning Games Has Completely Changed

The Pittsburgh Steelers have maintained a winning record in every season this decade, and for mainly one big reason: the stars they've had on defense. TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick have been elite playmakers. The pass rush, led by Watt and Heyward, helped set the record for the most consecutive games with at least one sack, and Fitzpatrick helped take away the deep portion of the field nearly every game -- even scoring multiple touchdowns himself off turnovers. The group won a lot in the regular reason, but they saw no playoff success together, and now Watt and Heyward only remain in Pittsburgh with Fitzpatrick no longer on the team.

The organization's success has relied heavily on defense, specifically the stars. If they couldn't get going, the team struggled. Part of the reason they relied so heavily on them was their draft failures. Their draft classes from 2018 to 2022 were extremely underwhelming, with very few exceptions. Only three players got second contracts from those classes: Pat Freiermuth, Alex Highsmith, and Mason Rudolph. The team has recently signed two of its stars from the 2023 draft class, Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington, sparking a new theory about the credit for the team's recent wins. 

Christopher Carter of the Post-Gazette recently appeared on an episode of Locked On, where he talked about the team and the new extensions. Carter points out that pundits believe the franchise is going nowhere. He shuts that narrative down however, noting that the reason they're winning games is changing and that this is putting them on the right trajectory for the future. 

"The reasons why they're winning games are changing," Carter stated. And they're changing to the young guard, and you're seeing that because they're paying the young guard."

Not only has the team already extended Herbig and Washington, but they also have more to be expected: Joey Porter Jr. and Keanu Benton. Porter has become one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL, with the unfortunate status of playing in a stacked conference at the position. Benton has been a roller-coaster of a player, but with schematic changes on defense this season and perhaps development that fits his skill set, he could become a steady player for the team long-term.

While the team is taking care of its 2023 draft class, they also have some players from the 2024 class who will require extensions next offseason, particularly along the offensive line. This draft class was primarily set on building the trenches, and it has certainly paid off. The Steelers' offensive line is young and on the rise, and has made significant improvement from the past few seasons. 

Steelers Are Finally Getting It Right

After years of lackluster drafting, the Steelers are finally starting to hit on their draft picks, allowing them to build their team through the draft, rather than free-agent signings and trades. They still have holes that are going to need to be filled in the coming years, but back-to-back solid draft classes and potentially one more with the 2025 class having some promising players, the organization is on the right trajectory. 

The biggest hole to fill is the game's most important position: quarterback. They have two young guns they hope will turn out to be the long-term answer in Will Howard and Drew Allar, but the odds aren't in their favor. With a loaded quarterback class in 2027, the team will have a great opportunity to find its franchise quarterback and really open its Super Bowl window. The drafting has been really solid as of late, but without a franchise quarterback, it means nothing. 

General Manager Omar Khan must do what it takes to land one of the top QBs in the 2027 class, pairing them with a quarterback guru like Mike McCarthy. If that happens, the Steelers could become a scary team in the AFC. 

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