With the NFL Draft now in the books, the Steelers have a good idea of what they'll have moving forward.
The draft brought in five players on the offensive side of the ball, including quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round. But the Steelers also remade their wide receiving corps with George Pickens in the second round and Calvin Austin in the fourth, while also adding a jack-of-all-trades in the sixth round in Connor Heyward.
Where do things stand as the team readies to start phase II of its OTA program?
A lot better than two months ago, before the start of free agency.
Let's take a look at the offense today:
QUARTERBACK
The additions of both Pickett in the first round and then South Dakota State's Chris Oladokun in the seventh gives the Steelers four quarterbacks. Those two will join veteran holdover Mason Rudolph and free-agent signee Mitch Trubisky in a fully stocked quarterback room.
Mike Tomlin said after the selection of Pickett with the 20th pick in the draft the Steelers will give him a chance to compete for the starting job. The Steelers didn't draft the most NFL-ready quarterback in the draft to have him run the scout team all season.
Here's the thing, though: Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Kevin Colbert said the Steelers weren't interested in having a three-way competition for the starting job. The Steelers did that in 1996 with a three-way competition between Kordell Stewart, Jim Miller and Mike Tomczak after Neil O'Donnell left in free agency. Then-head coach Bill Cowher decided on Miller coming out of training camp, but pulled him at halftime of the team's regular season opener against the Jaguars and wound up starting Tomczak the rest of the season.
Expect a true competition for the Steelers between Trubisky and Pickett for the starting job, with Rudolph perhaps becoming expendable. The Steelers didn't use a draft pick on Oladokun simply because they planned on having him be a training camp arm. They obviously see something in him.
The question becomes: Can the Steelers get something in a trade for Rudolph?
They'll want Pickett to be the No. 2 quarterback behind Trubisky if he doesn't win the starting job. And they'll want Trubisky to be the backup if Pickett wins the starting job because he's signed past this season. Rudolph is not. His base salary is just $3 million for 2022, making him easy to move. And he's not without talent. A team in need of a veteran backup could be interested -- especially if they have an injury or two at the position.
RUNNING BACK
The Steelers didn't add anything of note at this position behind Najee Harris, but that doesn't mean they won't.
Tomlin didn't exactly give backups Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland a ringing endorsement when given the chance last week, particularly McFarland, who has done little to nothing in his two seasons with the team.
"Both capable young guys. Their resumes speak for themselves," Tomlin said. "Benny has been capable as a backup runner, has been capable as a [special] teamer. McFarland less so, less availability there. But they will define their roles with how they perform and obviously how they perform against competition, competition that's here and maybe competition that's not here."
Heyward won't be that, though he did play some running back at Michigan State, rushing for 825 yards in his career. At worst, he could get the team out of a game if there were a rash of injuries.
It's also doubtful Heyward pushes fullback Derek Watt off the roster, even though Watt's salary cap hit jumps to $4.7 million this season. Watt is the team's best special teams player and though he hasn't had a defined offensive role in the past, he could this season, as could Heyward, who also can play tight end in a pinch.
Adding another veteran would still make some sense. Melvin Gordon, the best running back on the free agent market, signed a one-year deal worth just $2.5 million to return to the Broncos.
With players such as David Johnson, Sony Michel, Darrel Williams or Jerrick McKinnon, among others, still on the market, there will be a rush of veterans taking bargain prices at some point to ensure they have a team on which to play.
Another pair of interesting names to watch are Tarik Cohen and Phillip Lindsay. Both have a similar skillset to that of McFarland with much better track records in the league.
WIDE RECEIVERS
This position took on a much different look in the past week. First, the Steelers claimed Miles Boykin off waivers from the Ravens. Then, they drafted Pickens and Austin.
They'll be added to the mix with Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Anthony Miller, Cody White, free agent signing Gunnar Olszewski, Steven Sims and Rico Bussey.
All but Bussey have NFL experience of that group, though Olszewski's experience is largely as a return man. He's not been much of a receiving threat in his career.
The addition of Pickens makes Boykin somewhat expendable unless he proves to be an ace special teams player. They're both bigger down-the-field threats, though Pickens is the more talented receiver.
But it was a no-cost move for the Steelers to claim Boykin. If he makes the roster, he counts $2.3 million against the team's salary cap. If he doesn't, it costs the Steelers nothing in dead money to release him.
It does make things interesting in potential contract extension talks with Johnson, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract.
If Johnson's contract demands get too high -- and nobody knows what those will be since no talks have taken place to this point -- the Steelers perhaps drafted his replacement in the speedy, though undersized, Austin.
The same goes with Pickens and Claypool.
Those four figure to the be the team's top four wideouts this season, with Miller, Boykin, Sims, White and Bussey fighting for one spot. It's doubtful the Steelers would move on from Olszewski after signing him to a free agent contract. And he's an excellent special teams player, both as a return man and on coverage.
Could the team look to trade a receiver? Perhaps. They have a surplus at the position. And if you look at the rosters of teams such as the Bears and Falcons, among others, there are teams that have obvious needs at the position.
TIGHT END
Heyward was the only addition to the position, even if at 5-11, 233 pounds, he isn't the ideal size.
"I know he's done somethings, positional-flexibility things, and when I saw him as a tight end, I had an opportunity to look at him as a tight end guy and he offered some value," said Steelers tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts. "I knew he could be an outstanding (special) teams player, but right now we get a chance to focus on him being a tight end and fitting in with the rest of the guys."
The rest of the guys include 2021 second-round pick Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Kevin Rader and Jace Sternberger.
Freiermuth should have a bigger role in 2022 after a solid rookie season and his biggest jump should come as a blocker. Gentry handles a lot of those duties now, while Rader is a combo tight end with some skills. Sternberger is a former third-round pick of the Packers who has struggled to find his footing in the NFL.
It's a good group that should continue to improve.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Steelers didn't add to this group in the draft, but that wasn't necessarily unexpected by anyone who had been paying attention this offseason.
The team re-signed right tackle Chuks Okorafor in free agency, then added former Bears guard James Daniels and former Vikings interior offensive lineman Mason Cole, as well. Both play guard and center.
"Coming away with two guys who are center-guard capable, and then having Kendrick Green in that same talent pool is comforting," said Colbert. "You have three guys that can play center and guard, and collectively, it's nine years worth of service that we have from that group."
That threesome will battle with returning left guard for the three starting interior line spots, while second-year tackle Dan Moore will be at left tackle again with Okorafor on the right side and Joe Haeg backing them up.
J.C. Hassenauer and John Leglue, both of whom started games in 2021, also return, meaning the Steelers have nine returning linemen with NFL experience.
A draft pick, particularly a late-round pick, would have had a tough time making the roster considering the Steelers often keep just nine linemen on the 53-man roster, though they have kept 10 at times, as well.
The team did sign three undrafted rookies and also still has offensive tackle Chaz Green and guards Malcolm Pridgeon and and Nate Gilliam, all three of whom also have NFL experience, on the roster.
The belief within the organization is that the front-line linemen, all of whom but Cole are 25 or younger -- and he's just 26 -- is still ascending.
"We’re really excited about the free agency pickups we made up front in Mason and James," Matt Canada said. "I think those guys are going to come in and be really helpful for us. They add experience and talent, not minimizing that, but to come into that room, I think that room’s going to continue to grow with two more pieces to the puzzle here with more offensive guys. The more weapons you have the better, the more competition you have at every room the better. We’re excited."
