The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very specific set of needs that need to be filled during the 2023 off-season. They have three picks in the top 50 selections in the upcoming NFL Draft, thanks to the trade of Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears, and there is a wide gulf between different factions of the fan base on what direction Pittsburgh should take.
Matt Freed / Post Gazette
Steelers' Kenny Pickett and college teammate, Jordan Addison.
Many fans want to be practical and draft offensive linemen, cornerbacks, and inside linebackers with the top-end draft selections. A very loud cross-section of the fan base wants a wide receiver with those picks, or more specifically they want Jordan Addison.
Addison most certainly will not fall past the 17th pick in the NFL Draft and he is not the top-rated wide receiver available, but fans are dead set on Kenny Pickett and Addison being a second coming of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase.
The Steelers have not won a playoff game in seven years and the thinking of bringing in Addison to duplicate the Cincinnati Bengals success over the past two seasons is a questionable strategy, but let’s look at how the Steelers could pull it off. They would have to fill a big need in free agency, maybe two with limited cap space. If Omar Khan was so inclined, here is how they could pull it off...
Draft The Best Available Cornerback at #32
The cornerback class in 2023 is very deep and taking a leftover cornerback at 32 or 49 could be the Steelers' best play. They would not get Christian Gonzalez or Devin Witherspoon, but they could get lucky and still get Joey Porter Jr. Kelee Ringo and Emmanuel Forbes will almost surely be available.
This could end up yielding better results for the black and gold. Steps Two and Three would almost certainly eliminate the possibility of retaining Cam Sutton, so whoever they select will have to take the field opening day.
Sign A Left Tackle In Free Agency
Taylor Lewan has been attempting to drum up interest from the Steelers over the last week or so, but at 32 with a significant injury history and what is likely an unforgivable affront to their best player TJ Watt, there are just better options that won’t cost nearly as much. Players Like Mike McGlinchey, Kaleb McGary, and Jawaan Taylor are all going to cost about the same and are at least five years younger than Lewan.
They are not perfect options, but they are all significant upgrades at the position and they meet the Steelers' usual free agency strategy; players in their mid-20's signing a second contract. Pro Football Focus ranks the entire trio among the top 50 free agents this off-season and with Pickett demonstrating a tendency towards concussions, the offensive line has to be a priority.
Sign An Inside Linebacker in Free Agency
There are some excellent options in the draft for this position. If the Steelers decide to go after Addison, they will have to sign an inside linebacker because quality defensive linemen must come through the draft. They simply won’t be able to pay for an upgrade on both sides of the ball in the trenches.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker, Myles Jack (#51) participates during 2022 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
They can however find several options to pair with Myles Jack and make Robert Spillane a rotational piece in the 2023 defense. Players like Bobby Okereke and Drue Tranquill could be highly effective players in Pittsburgh and are both excellent run-stoppers. Kyzir White and Azeez Al-Shaair might not make quite the impact of their fellow free agent linebackers, but could come at half the cost and produce at a higher level than the Steelers are currently getting.
Explain to George Pickens and Diontae Johnson That They Are Not Number One Wide Receivers
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers receivers, George Pickens (right) and Diontae Johnson (left).
This seems like a flippant statement, but the biggest problem with drafting Addison is alienating one or both of the best current playmakers on the roster. George Pickens has impressed observers all over the NFL with his hands and catch radius. Diontae Johnson, according to ESPN, is one of the best receivers in the league at getting open.
Drafting Addison means possibly demoting at least one of these two, and based on the volatility of top-end wide receivers, I wouldn't want to be Frisman Jackson.The Steelers' wide receiver room is not the same as the Cincinnati Bengals' situation when they brought in Chase last season. The Bengals did not know Tee Higgins had 1A potential and bringing in an elite target for Burrow made sense. The Steelers already have a heated competition on their hands for the number one wide receiver, whereas Chase stepped into the number one role.
The Steelers could pull it off, but it is unlikely that Addison would supplant either of the current two options at the top of the depth chart. They would also be relying heavily on Matt Canada to be creative enough to figure out a way to keep three receivers who view themselves as the number one option happy. Those are two daunting obstacles for the team to overcome and Canada doesn't seem like the coach to do it.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you in favor of drafting Addison and filling other needs through free agency? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
