NFL Power Rankings: Post-NFL Draft Edition
By Jon Dove
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
Key Additions: T.J. Watt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Cam Sutton, James Conner and Joshua Dobbs
Key Losses: Lawrence Timmons
On paper, the Pittsburgh Steelers have all the pieces needed to unseat the New England Patriots as Super Bowl Champions. The biggest thing standing in their way is health which has been an issue for key players like Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Maurkice Pouncy.
Martavis Bryant is official off his suspension, but there’s no telling how long it will last. It’s an important storyline because Bryant is a special talent who has proven to be a big-time playmaker. Pittsburgh’s offense goes to another level with him on the field.
Generating pressure on the quarterback is another area that must get better. This is why they used a 1st round pick on T.J. Watt. They are hoping that the trio of Watt, Bud Dupree and James Harrison can get the job done.
Pittsburgh didn’t do much to fix the issues in the secondary with rookie Cam Sutton as the only notable additions. This means they are counting on second-year players like Sean Davis and Artie Burns to continue their development.
Losing Lawrence Timmons will hurt, but Vince Williams has shown in the past that he can step in and play solid football.