Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Wish List

Story by Yinzer Crazy's Anthony DiCerbo. Go follow him on Twitter @Snarfvenom

It is the holiday season, and with less than a week before the big day, many Christmas lists are already signed and sealed. There is a little more time for the Steelers to work on their list before free agency and the draft, but in the spirit of the holidays, I’ll share my Steelers wishlist.

A true number-one starting corner

At the top of this list is a true number-one corner, which is something the Steelers have lacked for quite some time now. Cam Sutton and Levi Wallace are nice pieces, but neither of them really brings that lockdown specialization that is so coveted at the NFL level. 

Look at the Jets. This past offseason saw them pick up Sauce Gardner, and he has taken their defense to a new level.

In a league that has plenty of dominant receivers, adding a lockdown cover guy can go a long way to improving a team’s chances. 

While the Steelers haven’t exactly been the best at drafting and developing corners guys like Kelee Ringo and Joey Porter Jr. are going to be popular names connected to the Steelers come draft time. 

A new left tackle and left guard

The Steelers were more aggressive in last year's free agency period signing both Mason Cole and James Daniels. Those two have been very solid offensive linemen, with Daniels being the Steelers best lineman week in and week out.

The team has also committed to Chukwuma Okorafor as their right tackle, and unlike some, I don’t hate it. That leaves the left side of the line as one of the glaring weaknesses of the team. Currently, those spots are filled by Kevin Dotson and Dan Moore, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team look for upgrades and long-term pieces at both of those positions. 

The most logical solution would be to go back to the draft, where the team has seemingly shied away from drafting linemen early. Top tackle talent like Peter Skoronski and Paris Johnson Jr. might be enough to buck that trend. 

As for the interior spot, O’Cyrus Torrence might be the best pure guard in the class and could be in play for one of the Steelers second-round picks. 

More long-term defensive line talent

This might not be super concerning to a lot of fans, but it is something that at the very least has my attention, and it should be on the minds of the front office. 

Cam Heyward is still performing at a high level and for that Steeler fans are grateful, but he isn’t going to be here forever, outside of DeMarvin Leal who is going to be playing on the defensive line?

Tyson Alualu’s age is showing, Chris Wormley and Larry Ogunjobi are both UFAs after this season, and everyone else is either raw or hasn’t shown enough for me to be confident in them taking over those spots.

Outside of Cam Heyward and Leal, the only two that are likely to be in Pittsburgh for any extended period of time are Montravius Adams and Isaiah Loudermilk. 

Adding some more young talent to this group either in the draft or in free agency should be a priority going forward. 

A third edge rusher

The Steelers have been on this search for a while, and credit to Omar Khan for trying, it just hasn’t panned out. 

Alex Highsmith is becoming a star edge rusher right in front of our eyes, and we all know what T.J. Watt is capable of on a weekly basis, but we also know what happens when one of those two goes down. 

Malik Reed wasn’t really able to fill in, and the Steelers defense really struggled to get to the quarterback without both of their top guys on the field. Adding another solid piece to the mix would hopefully keep up the pressure when someone can’t go, or even just to spell them for a few plays in a game. 

I really believe that you can never have too much edge-rushing talent, and one more piece would help the Steelers have some semblance of success even if one of their top two guys can’t go. 

A steady slot receiver

The top duo of Diontae Johnson and George Pickens is really solid, but the dropoff after those two is massive. I like Steven Sims as a return man and spark plug piece, but I’m slightly skeptical of him holding down an every-down role on offense. 

With Sims taking that role I don’t even see the need for Olszewski to even be around next year. The good news is that the Steelers might already have this piece on the roster. Losing both Calvin Austin iii and Anthony Miller for the season was tough, and both could be in play for this role come next season. 

If there is a chance that neither one of those guys is the answer in the slot, adding someone specifically for that role might go a long way. A consistent slot weapon would improve the offense in a lot of situations, specifically on third down and in the redzone. 

I really do hope that the next slot receiver is already on the roster, but it is a role that I think the team needs to get worked out to really improve on offense. 

Conclusion

My Steelers wishlist sees them making changes on both sides of the ball, getting younger at key positions, and potentially improving from within.

 Personally, I think this upcoming draft will play a pivotal role in determining how quickly the Steelers will get back to contending, that is why a lot of top draft talent is at the top of my wishlist.

Do you agree with this list? What is on your wishlist for the Steelers?