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Steelers 2023 Starters in Three Words or Less

Yinzer Crazy • Jan 31, 2023

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Jayson Erwin. Follow him on Twitter @JaysonErwin2002


Steeler Nation, the future is now, and it's looking brighter. After a slow start, the Steelers would show massive improvement towards the end of the season - and technically you can say they haven't lost a game since last year. Expect this offseason to be crazy with many twists and turns. Will we see trades? Firings? Unexpected retirings? Could one of those moves lead to a Lombardi in the near future? One can dream and I am that one. And I am also simply a man of few words, and I'm going to use those to describe the starters next season.


QB, Kenny Pickett: "Breakout Star"

Kenny Pickett had a slow start to the season, tossing more picks than touchdowns. Some were already ready to throw Pickett out of the city and yes, it was rough. In his first 6 games, he was 1-5 overall and had 2 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Going into the bye week, extra preparation was key, and Pickett truly showed how good he is. He compiled a 6-2 record, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception. With Pickett and Matt Canada finally clicking and the offense coming together, a breakout season for Pickett is approaching! But will the offseason give Pickett more weapons to work with? Because a certain wide receiver named Jordan Addison is in the 2023 draft. Will the Steelers pair Pickett with his old Pitt target? Or are we in the prime of Pickett to Pickens?


RB, Najee Harris: "Sharing Is Carrying"

Another year, another 1,000 yards running for Mr. Harris. But he had some help along the way. The undrafted rookie running back out of Oklahoma State was a great compliment to Harris. Jaylen Warren had some great runs to complement the Steelers run game nicely and had a higher average yards per carry than Najee. Even in an offseason filled with doubt over who would be the man behind Harris, Warren stepped up and so expect the Steelers to start giving Warren more chances with Harris.


WR, Diontae Johnson: "Number Two Receiver"

Diontae Johnson, whether you look at him as our #1 receiver or not, didn't have a great year compared to the rookie standout receiver, George Pickens. Pickens had great chemistry with QB Kenny Pickett and made spectacular catches in almost every game he played. Johnson was good in terms of yardage and catches but had zero touchdowns. Don't expect Johnson to be the 2nd option to start the year, but could be later on if the no-touchdown trend from last season continues and his replacement is more than ready for more catches.


TE, Pat Freiermuth: "Top Five"

Pat Freiermuth had another great year. Not a lot on the touchdown side of things but almost 300 more yards than last year, more targets, and a bigger role on the offense. Despite a slow end to the season, Freiermuth is arguably the best weapon we have on offense and is showing he is a top-10 tight end in the league. By the end of next season, they may still be talking about Kelce and Kittle but the former Penn State Lion WILL be in the conversation for a top 5 tight end.


DL, Cameron Heyward: "The Wrap-Up"

It's sad to say but Cam's time is coming to an end soon in Pittsburgh. By 2025, his contract with the Steelers will expire so it's likely he'll retire when the time comes. Heyward is 33 years old and still is a good player and locker-room leader, but retirement talks have started for him, and he is likely to have a place in Canton. When Aaron Donald is the only player ahead of you in talks of the best interior defensive linemen in the league, that's saying something. The Steelers have two more chances to deliver Heyward a Lombardi trophy, can they pull it off? Heyward has passed enough knowledge to his fellow defensive linemen to be great, like Larry Ogunjobi and Chris Wormley, who both played their best ball in black and gold.


OLB, T.J. Watt: "The Renegade"

TJ Watt had a rough season, but that was not even his fault. An early pec injury took him out for a while, and he couldn't put together the incredible season he's had since he was drafted in 2017. However, with more time to rehabilitate his later-season injuries with Tomlin saying Watt looked beat up late in the season, and now with Alex Highsmith doing elite work as well, 2023 could be an amazing season. The possibility of the resurrection of the pairing of 2019-20 TJ Watt and Bud Dupree with the combined sacks of 26. The pairing of Highsmith and Watt should excite everyone. Because of all the sacks and ladies and gentlemen, the jig is up, the news is out, they finally found me. 


ILB, Myles Jack: "Worth the Money?"

Myles Jack's first season was an interesting one. Not a lot of notable stats like interceptions, sacks, or fumbles. However, he was a tackling machine with 104 total tackles. He was one of the more notable signings the Steelers made in the offseason and his first year was...fine. There are currently four inside linebackers that have made highlights but no big stats. Aforementioned Jack, Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and Mark Robinson. Will Myles Jack prove this year he was worth the ink to sign the contract or is there a diamond in the depth chart we'll discover next season?


DB, Minkah Fitzpatrick: "Follow the Leader"

The Steelers defensive back room could be in for a massive change roster-wise. The Steeler defense, despite being #1 in interceptions, has struggled with their defensive backs beside one man, Mr. Minkah Fitzpatrick. With cornerbacks being the favorite position to replace in the draft, Fitzpatrick could give a lot of good coverage pointers. Fitzpatrick should be the man to follow for other DBs on the roster, he wasn't just named Team MVP for nothing. 


Now let's see how badly these will age.


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