The Pittsburgh Steelers are notoriously frugal when it comes to spending in free agency. They don’t make big splashes, instead relying on the draft to address needs and building via that route. However, this offseason, there are plenty of new faces in Pittsburgh.
For their standards, the Steelers went on a spending spree this offseason. Patrick Peterson was signed to bolster the secondary while Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts were signed to address needs on the second level of the defense at linebacker.
Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers have addressed most of their biggest needs. The secondary was shored up and they should once again have a stout defense. How big of a step they take next season will be determined by the improvement of Kenny Pickett.
The team’s first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft was thrust into the starting lineup in Week 5. While things didn’t go well at the start, as Pickett struggled with turnovers, he showed vast improvement in the second half of the season. If the Steelers want him to continue improving, adding some help along the offensive line would be a good way to go about it.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line improved as the season went along, but they could use some more talent. Isaac Seumalo was a great signing away from the Philadelphia Eagles to bolster the interior of their line.
Along with last year’s signing of James Daniels, the interior of the Steelers’ line is strong. But, tackle spots remain a weak point. Le’Raven Clark was signed in free agency but isn’t likely an option as a starter. An upgrade could come in the 2023 NFL Draft, which is exactly what Todd McShay believes will happen in his recent mock draft.
With the No. 18 overall pick, McShay has the Steelers selecting offensive tackle Broderick Jones out of Georgia. Jones was excellent at left tackle for the Bulldogs and could eventually flip over to that side of the line for the Steelers.
In the early going, he provides a big upgrade at right tackle, as he didn’t allow a single sack over 15 starts in 2022. He is lauded for his combination of size and athleticism and has the tools to develop into an excellent player on the blindside. The Steelers can afford to wait on making such a change with Dan Moore Jr. holding down the left tackle spot for now and Chukwuma Okorafor on the roster as well.
