Grading The Steelers Dynamic 2022 Free Agent Class

Going in to last offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in unfamiliar territory with the retirement of future Hall of Fame quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger and longtime general manager, Kevin Colbert. It is worth noting that current general manager, Omar Khan did not officially take over full responsibilities from Colbert until May of 2022. The main concern was to find their QB1 moving forward, which they did in Pittsburgh Panthers standout, Kenny Pickett. In addition to drafting Pickett, the Steelers made an impressive number of free agent signings to help the team build in the post Big Ben era. 

Big name veterans such as Myles Jack, James Daniels, and Mitch Trubisky made the decision to join a team that many people believed were in a re-build. Now that the 2022 NFL season has concluded, it is worth taking a look back and evaluating the performances of the players who were new to the Steelers last season. To keep it simple, each player will be assigned a letter grade based on their level of play for the 2022 season. 

James Daniels: A

James Daniels inked a three-year, $26.5 million deal with the Steelers this past offseason after spending his first four seasons with the Chicago Bears. The move to bring him in was much needed after the Steelers failed to adequately address the offensive line during the 2021 offseason (looking at you, Kendrick Green). Daniels was the immediate starter at right guard, but struggled immensely during his first preseason with the Steelers. At times, it looked like the team made a catastrophic mistake in signing Daniels to a big money deal. 

Fortunately, this was not the case during the regular season. Daniels was arguably the most consistent offensive player, including skill positions, for the Steelers last year and was well worth the contract. According to Pro Football Focus metrics, Daniels was not responsible for a single sack all season. He is without a doubt the long-term answer at right guard. He easily gets an A for his 2022 performance. 

Myles Jack: C-

Myles Jack was good for the Steelers last year. Emphasis on good, and not great. He amassed over 100 total tackles to the lead to the team last season and had 3 tackles for loss and 3 pass defended. That's pretty much the extent of his stats for the 2022 season. 0 sacks and 0 interceptions. This is not exactly what the Steelers had in mind when they brought Jack in to be their "playmaking" inside linebacker. 

He signed a two-year, $16 million contract to be a difference maker on this defense. Unfortunately, he was not able to do so. He still managed to play 15 of the 17 games last year, but was only on the field for 65% of the defensive snaps. Only slightly above fellow inside linebackers Robert Spillane (55%) and Devin Bush (62%). This is why Jack is only given a grade of C-, he had a very unremarkable first season in Pittsburgh. 

Levi Wallace: B

Levi Wallace was one of the more quiet free agent signings for the Steelers last year, but provided to be one of the most effective. He signed a modest two-year, $8 million deal to challenge fellow cornerbacks Cam Sutton and Ahkello Witherspoon for a starting spot at outside cornerback. He played in 15 games and started 9 of them, ending up with 4 interceptions on the year which put him second on the team, only trailing All-Pro safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick. 

Wallace was also a willing tackler who quickly immersed himself into the culture of being a Pittsburgh Steeler. He will once again this offseason have the ability to challenge for the starting spot at cornerback. The question is who exactly will he be competing against. Sutton is slated to hit free agency and Witherspoon's future with the Steelers is questionable at best. As mentioned extensively here at SteelerNation.com, do not be surprised if the Steelers spend their first-round pick on a corner. 

Mason Cole: B+

Went back and forth with this one, trying to decide between a B and B+. He will get the + for the toughness he showed throughout this past season. Different from Daniels, Mason Cole was not the immediate starter at center. Furthermore, it was unclear of what position he would be be playing for the Steelers after he signed a three-year, $15.750 million contract. He played both guard and center during his stints with both the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. Once the decision was made for him to play his preferred position of center, Cole held on to his starting spot and played well for the Steelers in 2022. 

Cole actually graded slightly above James Daniels, according to PFF. His grade of 67.1 compared just slightly higher to Daniels' 66.9 Overall, Cole was a welcome addition to the offensive line. He will be a Steeler in 2023. Similar to last season, however, there may be some question as to what position he will be playing. Regardless, there is no doubt he will play tough and bring a high motor to the Kenny Pickett led offense.

Mitch Trubisky: C-

Everyone's favorite signing last year, Mitch Trubisky. It would be fair to leave him off this list, despite the fact he only held on to the starting QB job for four games. Trubisky is a pro's pro. Although his 2022 season did not go the way he envisioned it, he still handled himself extremely well and provided much needed leadership to Pickett. Additionally, he did a nice job of filling in for Pickett when he suffered his two concussions, leading the Steelers to wins against both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. Let's just not bring up the Baltimore Ravens game last year where he single-handedly lost the game by inexplicably throwing three interceptions. 

Was he worth the two-year, $14.285 million deal? Up for debate. Whether you like Trubisky or not, he is one of the better backup quarterbacks the Steelers have had in a long time. Is being a solid backup worth the price tag? Only time will tell. Trubisky's future as a Steeler is undecided. However, Khan has already stated how much he values having him on the team:

"It's still early in the offseason, but I expect Mitch will be on the roster next season and will be an effective backup when we need him. I think he showed we can win with him. I think he'll be on the roster next year."

Agree or Disagree with these Steelers grades? 

How would you assess my evaluation of the Steelers class of free agents in 2022? Are any of these the grades too harsh? Too easy? Let us know in the comments what you think! 

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