The 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers have so many questions that just won't be answered in the immediate future until pads go on and NFL competition kicks in. And even then, it won't be enough to dissect the Steelers' headlining quarterback competition.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic detailed the summer concerns for the 2022 Steelers in an article released Wednesday morning. Kaboly said this about the team:
"The Steelers have more than one concern. Depth at defensive line, talent at cornerback, the health of their inside linebackers, doing enough to upgrade the offensive line and whether offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s college-style motion offense is translatable to the NFL are high on the list.But nothing is higher than how the quarterback position will play out between free agent pickup Mitch Trubisky and first round pick Kenny Pickett. Trubisky is the front-runner to start Week 1 after taking first reps during the spring, but it’s being framed as a competition. The Steelers need good play out of their quarterback to have any chance of competing, and that’s no guarantee at this point."
Let's break down what Kaboly said step-by-step, shall we?
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (65) celebrate a sack in the second quarter of the NFL Week 13 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Chargers at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. The Chargers led 24-13 at halftime.
Are unknowns really concerns? They certainly can be. However, Kaboly points out that the Steelers depth on the defensive line is an area of concern, but that would seemingly be solved if newly signed DT Larry Ogunjobi is healthy and plays like his 2021 self, in which he notched 7 sacks, 49 combined tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, and 16 QB hits. He posted career highs in sacks, TFLs, and QB hits.
Remember, the Steelers played 2021 without Stephon Tuitt, so they upgraded the room immediately with the signing. Insert Ogunjobi as a starter, which will turn rookie DeMarvin Leal, second year man Isaiahh Loudermilk, and Chris Wormley all into depth pieces on the defensive line. Ogunjobi seems like he will fit in just nicely with the Steelers defense, especially knowing how to get to the quarterback.
Kaboly stated that the Steelers should be concerned with their talent at the cornerback position currently, but I just don't see that being the case. The team re-signed Ahkello Witherspoon this off-season, who played phenomenally for the Steelers, once he got his feet underneath him. The team already had Cam Sutton on the roster, who a few days ago, Kaboly pinned as the team's "closest thing" to a true number 1 corner. The cornerback room got younger when the team elected to move on from Joe Haden and stole Levi Wallace away from the Buffalo Bills.
Wallace has received a lot of praise this off-season from various outlets and is always in position to make a play. He was listed as the NFL's 8th best defender in coverage for the 2021 season in an article by NFL.com.
Behind those three guys are some nice depth pieces in James Pierre and Justin Layne, and slot corner specialist Arthur Maulet. So, I guess you could say an area of concern in regards to the CB room would be depth, not so much talent. The Steelers' corners present a lot of talent, but if one of Sutton, Witherspoon, or Wallace go down, they may be in trouble. If that's the case, though, you could make a case for the Steelers to crawl back to Haden.
In regards to Kaboly listing the health of inside linebackers, doing enough to upgrade the offensive line, and Canada's offense are all unknowns at this point due to a variety of reasons. Canada's offense should look better since its seemingly has the correct personnel to run it appropriately. I can agree being concerned with those three areas, but I'm just not concerned with defensive line depth or talent at the cornerback position.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8), and running back, Najee Harris (#22), practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex during the 2022 minicamp, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. | Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Kaboly is right about this though, the team HAS to have good QB play for the Steelers to be successful in 2022. Maybe, not "good" QB play, but whether it be Pickett or Trubisky, they cannot turn the ball over! The Steelers will look to lean on RB Najee Harris and the run game first and foremost, anyway. Do that, and then, let the passing game open for Pickett or Trubisky.
What do yinz think about Kaboly's areas of concern for the 2022 Steelers? Let us know in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
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