The Pittsburgh Steelers are officially in offseason mode and with it comes all the questions about what the team can do to improve in 2023. The organization got a good look at the talent selected in the 2022 draft and hopefully found some important building blocks to get them back to playing at least one game in January next year.
Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, and Connor Heyward all showed flashes of promise in their debut campaigns / Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The team will have lots of decisions to make between now and when the season kicks off in September and the staff at ESPN took a look at some of the things it will have to do to make strides next year.
The Steelers Offense
The number one question surrounding the team's offense for 2023 is who will be leading it. Rumors about whether or not Matt Canada will be back in Pittsburgh for a third year will continue to swirl until the day the organization announces he's returning or that he's been shown the door and the unit will have a new leader for 2023.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 29: Matt Canada of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during training camp at Heinz Field on July 29, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Similarly to Head Coach Mike Tomlin, the analysts noted the improvement in the offense as the season progressed, but unlike him, they were willing to flat-out say Canada will be replaced.
"The Steelers will move on from Canada and bring in a young assistant coach who can move the offense in a more modern direction," wrote Football Outsiders' Aaron Schatz. "The offense is better than standard stats indicate. It was middle-of-the-road in DVOA despite being 24th in points per game (17.7). And the Steelers were in the bottom half of the NFL in the use of motion and play-action this season."
The Steelers offensive line went through an overhaul prior to 2022, and after a bit of a rough start managed to find some consistency as the year went on. The team should still be on the hunt for big men in the draft despite the improvements. Draft expert Jordan Ried highlighted offensive tackles Broderick Jones of the University of Georgia and Paris Johnson Jr. of Ohio State as potential targets for the 17th overall selection at the end of April.
The Steelers Defense
On the other side of the ball, the biggest questions of the day surround the cornerback position. Cameron Sutton is a pending free agent and has shown a willingness to return. The sixth-year defensive back had a career-high three interceptions and led the team with 15 passes defended.
"Sutton continues to improve and is among the top cornerbacks set to hit the market," wrote Field Yates. "He'll earn a decided raise from his $4.5 million average annual value deal that he is currently playing on, but Pittsburgh has the resources to ensure Sutton sticks around at a position where it needs plenty of depth."
Steelers Cameron Sutton showing off his ball-hawking skills in warmup before a game against the New Orleans Saints / Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The team could also target the cornerback position in the draft but hasn't had the greatest luck in drafting and developing talent at the position.
As Tomlin and the rest of the staff continue their evaluation of the 2022 season with an eye on next year, it will be interesting to see if they address these areas of concern. With more decisions to be made to potentially free up more cap space and three picks in the top two rounds, there's still plenty of time to go before we know what the 2023 team will look like.
So, Steeler Nation, do you agree that a change in offensive play-caller and cornerback are the biggest needs of the offseason? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
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