The Super Bowl is over. The Scouting Combine is next on the docket, but free agency begins shortly afterward.
The Steelers have a few priorities to shore up if this team is to improve on the 9-8 finish in 2022. And, most of that attention will focus on the defensive side of the ball.
At $104.8 million, the Steelers had the NFL's highest-paid defense in 2022. And, after a season in which the defense ranked 10th in points allowed per game and 13th in yards allowed per game, many might rightfully question how well the team's funds are being allocated when the offense was lagging even further behind at 26th and 23rd in their own respective ranks.
The bottom line is the defense as a whole is hitting a point that requires attention right now to start replenishing at several positions. This didn't happen quickly enough when the members of the late-2000s and early-2010s defense that produced one Super Bowl win and another appearance in the big game either left or retired. Because of that, an elite offense that included Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and a few other important role players didn't have a defense that was good enough to make the team a legitimate Super Bowl threat until the window was opened for a narrow point in time.
With the offense beginning a similar process of building around a core group of Kenny Pickett, Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth, now is the time for the Steelers to use free agency and the draft to either improve defensive positions or really solidify them.
T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are under big contracts and in the prime of their careers. They're worth every penny. Any defense in the NFL would love to have two stars like Watt and Fitzpatrick, especially at the positions they play. With Alex Highsmith coming off a breakout season in 2022, the only thing the Steelers really need to address on the edge is a solid third option that can tag in and be asked to produce (if and when he's cut as a cap casualty, Bud Dupree, anyone?).
Looking everywhere else, there are significant question marks on defense. Yes, Cam Heyward is still playing at an elite level. But, now would be a great time for Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin to find a guy who can take his place when Heyward decides to hang up his cleats. Free agency offers several different options with varying price points. The draft also offers a few different options throughout the first few rounds. A few names worth consideration are Iowa's Lukas Van Ness, Georgia Tech's Keion White and Wisconsin's Keeanu Benton -- the latter two are already on the Steelers' radar.
Inside linebacker is an obvious need since Myles Jack and Mark Robinson are the only linebackers on the roster who played defensive snaps in 2022, and Jack could be a cap casualty as he carries a large $11.25-million cap hit in 2023. Inside linebacker isn't very deep in this year's draft, though the Combine should give us a better barometer of how NFL teams will evaluate the position.
Conversely, the free agent class of inside linebackers is quite deep. Sure, the Steelers could pay big bucks for Tremaine Edmunds. But, there are some second-tier options such as Leighton Vander Esch, Bobby Okereke, Germaine Pratt, Drue Tranquill and Alex Singleton that are more affordable.
But, ultimately the biggest need for the Steelers will be in the secondary. Yes, the Steelers tied for the league lead in interceptions. Fitzpatrick led the way with six of the team's 20 interceptions, and Levi Wallace is under contract after finishing second on the team with four picks of his own.
However, as much as I've already pounded the table by saying Terrell Edmunds should be the priority regarding the Steelers' own unrestricted free agents, I've learned that the Steelers value Cam Sutton as their top priority -- and for a few very good reasons.
On top of a modest three interceptions, Sutton ranked fourth-best in the NFL of 67 qualifying cornerbacks in holding receivers to catching only 50.7% of targets when he was in coverage. And, he was sixth-best in the NFL with a 69.6 passer-rating against. These are numbers that NFL teams value. Then, considering his six years of experience and versatility to play outside or in the slot, Sutton will be a hot commodity and one of the most coveted cornerbacks in free agency.
In turn, the Steelers don't have time to mess around. They'll have to pay market price to keep Sutton in Pittsburgh, regardless of how much he wants to remain a Steeler.
Without Sutton, the Steelers' rostered cornerbacks are Wallace, William Jackson III, Ahkello Witherspoon, Arthur Maulet and Tre Norwood, though Norwood played more safety than cornerback last season. It's almost a certainty that Jackson is cut to save $12 million in salary cap space, which thins out the position even more.
The secondary is a very high priority on this defense. Sutton tops the need in free agency, which could be very expensive if they were to swing and miss. Bringing back Sutton would be a huge win, especially if it's coupled with the return of Edmunds at a reasonable price.
Fortunately, not all hope is lost if things go awry in free agency. There are plenty of options when the Steelers pick 17th overall this April. Illinois' Devon Witherspoon, Oregon's Christian Gonzalez, South Carolina's Cam Smith and Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. could be available when the Steelers are on the clock in the first round.
We are still very early in the draft process, so there are varying opinions of how each of these four cornerbacks are graded. What matters here is what the Steelers value, and I've been reminded recently that this team still highly values cornerbacks that have good ball skills and can take the ball away. As popular of a pick as he would be with the fans, that would actually put Porter Jr. at the bottom of these four as he had only one interception during his career with the Nittany Lions.
Even if the Steelers do manage to re-sign Sutton, I don't expect the Steelers to shift their focus away from cornerback -- or defense, in general -- in the first round. Cornerback is where the most value will be at 17th overall as the top three tackles in the draft -- Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr., Northwestern's Peter Skoronski and Georgia's Broderick Jones -- will likely be off the board by the time the Steelers are on the clock.
If the Steelers go into 2023 with Sutton returning and a first-round cornerback, the position should be solidified for the next few seasons, especially with how versatile Sutton is.
The Combine will also reveal just how highly teams evaluate a defensive tackle such as Clemson's Bryan Bresee, who missed several games in 2022 due to a kidney infection and suffered a season-ending knee injury after only four games in 2021. A clean bill of health could make him a viable option in the middle of the first round.
As stated earlier, defensive line has to be addressed, potentially in free agency and the draft. Larry Ogunjobi could be re-signed, but will cost more than the $8-million cap hit he carried in 2022. And, I have reason to believe that Tomlin's fascination with the play between the offensive and defensive linemen at the Senior Bowl was focused more on the defensive side.
As much as the Steelers paid for their defense in 2022, they'll have to pay more in 2023, whether it's through retaining or signing free agents or using high draft picks to replenish positions of need. Outside of Johnson, the core members of the offense are still on their rookie contracts. In turn, the offense will cost significantly less than the defense.
Should and will the Steelers address the offensive line this spring? I believe they will. However, for better or worse, the defense will remain the priority in Pittsburgh.