This is list season. The NFL is actually quiet right now and for content, lists are popping up all over the internet. And lists get clicks.
The top 100 players in the NFL is always a popular list this time of year, and the NFL Network’s Top 100 is the one that gets the most attention in this regard. The best 100 players in the league represents less than the very best six percent of players that make an opening day roster. Keep that in mind.
Any of these top 100 lists worth their salt have T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick firmly in that group, probably with none of those three near the bottom of the 100 players listed. Watt is clearly one of the most disruptive defensive players in the league and is right there with Nick Bosa, Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett as the league’s best edge defender. Heyward’s body of work is outstanding, and he seems to be only getting better every year. He might not be the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL right now, but Heyward’s excellence cannot be disputed. Finally, Derwin James might have something to say about it, but Fitzpatrick should be considered the game’s best safety, as we speak.
But, excellence can be short lived in this league. While Watt and Fitzpatrick are in the prime of their careers, Watt does turn 29 in October and Fitzpatrick turns 27 in November. Of course, Heyward is 34 years old and is entering his 13th NFL season. Yes, Heyward is getting up in age, but you sure wouldn’t think that from watching his film. And, with better defensive line depth now in the equation for the Steelers, maybe less will be asked of Heyward in 2023. But just watch here:
Heyward is relentless in his pursuit of Joe Burrow, but also shows great leverage and power by just bull rushing the Bengals left guard. Heyward’s bull rush and pursuit are still elite.
Dividing the top 100 by the 32 teams in the NFL, on average, every franchise should have 3.1 players on such a list. Of course, that doesn’t hold up for every franchise, but the Steelers hold their own in that regard with three representatives. But what about going forward? Who on this roster is capable of being amongst the top six percent of football players walking the planet?
Last week, Kenny Pickett was the focus of this column. Clearly, he isn’t close to a top 100 player as we speak, but maybe it could happen someday. For now, Steelers fans should be thrilled if Pickett can approach a top dozen NFL quarterback.
Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. have loads of talent and could one day get into this conversation. But, none of us have even seen these two (or any of the rookie class for that matter) line up against NFL players. Projecting rookies for such an honor is putting the cart ahead of the horse unless it’s a prospect like Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson or Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter, the two best players regardless of position from this most recent draft. With some technique work, Jones certainly has the talent (not that Porter doesn’t) to enter this equation, but we don’t even know for a fact that either rookie will even be the Steelers starting left tackle or cornerback on opening day against San Francisco.
Who else could truly in that top six percent? Outside of Jones, none of the Steelers offensive linemen are that type of player. The line as a whole could be fantastic this year, and James Daniels and Isaac Seumalo could be one of the best guard tandems in the league. But Jones is the only individual that can be elite -- a term that gets thrown around far too often.
Najee Harris doesn’t have elite running back burst or big play ability. He is a good player, but it is hard to envision Harris is a top five running back.
Outside of Fitzpatrick and maybe Porter, the Steelers probably don’t have a defensive back that can get to this level. However, Patrick Peterson has spent the majority of his outstanding career as a top-100-type of player and is coming off an excellent season with the Vikings. Could he be in the equation, even as a player that is about to turn 33 years old? It is still possible, but clearly unlikely. Peterson is a fantastic addition to this football team nonetheless.
There isn’t an off-ball linebacker that can sniff the top 100, but what about someone on the Steelers' defensive front besides Watt and Heyward? Alex Highsmith leaps off the page for these criteria, but while he is ascending and is coming off a very impressive year, he still isn’t sniffing the ranks of the top 10 edge defenders in this league. That position is just loaded right now with much freakier physical specimens than Highsmith.
Maybe DeMarvin Leal or Keeanu Benton? You must squint pretty hard for those guys. But, both are capable of being very useful starters on the interior of the Steelers defensive front, but for now, they will back up Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi.
How about the pass catchers on offense? At his best, Diontae Johnson might have been an “Honorable Mention” or something along those lines, a very respectable accomplishment. Contrary to popular belief, Johnson isn’t any lesser of a player now than he has been in recent seasons, but like Highsmith, really isn’t in the conversation as a top 10 player at the wide receiver position. Johnson and Highsmith are two of the most valuable Steelers nonetheless.
Many of you still don’t recognize this, but Johnson is an elite route runner that sets up his opponent incredibly well. But in this play, Johnson does his best George Pickens impersonation and shows how he can also win at the catch point, contort and "play big" against man-to-man coverage.
Pickens can get there though, and so can Pat Freiermuth, with the latter being much closer of the two. Some of that does stem from there being less competition at tight end than at wide receiver, a position that is totally loaded and overwhelming with fantastic players right now in the NFL. But also, because Freiermuth is clearly further along in his development as a professional football player right now, which isn’t shocking since he has one more year experience.
Pickens has tools and his highlights are remarkable. He has size, acceleration, body control, competitiveness, both smooth and sudden movement skills, to go along with rare ball skills. He just isn’t refined. Remember, Pickens played very little his final year of college and also wasn’t asked to run a diverse route tree during his rookie season. His production against zone coverage was clearly inferior to the impressive work he did against man. And, his route tree clearly needs expanded, which also speaks to offensive coaching.
Just to demonstrate how fantastic NFL wide receivers are in this league right now, and how hard it is for this position to enter that illustrious six percent, Pickens would be behind Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Drake London amongst wide outs coming off their rookie season. And maybe even behind Christian Watson and Jameson Williams, with the latter remaining a total unknown and starts the 2023 season suspended for the Lions.
And if you go to the draft class before Pickens’, the Steelers' youngster is also clearly behind Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith. And obviously, stalwart names like Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and so many others are entrenched. It won’t be easy for Pickens to be lumped into that group, but he is certainly capable.
Freiermuth could be a top 100 player at this time next year. Will he change games like Travis Kelce or other all-time great receiving tight ends? That is unlikely and is very rare company. But Freiermuth could -- and maybe should -- be considered in the top five players or so at his position with another successful season in 2023. Maybe Kelce finally falls off a bit. He does turn 34 in October. But there is little evidence to suggest that George Kittle or Mark Andrews will fall out of top 100 consideration.
However, Freiermuth is absolutely capable of competing with the likes of Dallas Goedert, Kyle Pitts and TJ Hockenson as the next group of ascending tight ends.
Maybe this looks like a routine play by Freiermuth, but it isn’t. He lines up of the line of scrimmage in a contested area of the field and does a great job of pausing, but still getting off the line and into his route without disrupting the timing and flow of the play as designed. Freiermuth then flips his hips around, an unnatural motion for a big man, and presents a big target for his quarterback and snatches a ball that was thrown slightly behind him. After securing the catch, Freiermuth again shows great smooth hip turn once again to get upfield.
For comparison’s sake, how many of the top six percent do the Super Bowl champion Chiefs have right now? Kelce for sure. Chris Jones without any debate. Offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey are right there. And, of course, they have perhaps the very best in Patrick Mahomes.
How about who Kansas City faced in the Super Bowl? Well, all of these guys from Philadelphia deserve consideration to some degree: Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, Smith, Goedert, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Carter (even as a rookie), Haason Reddick, James Bradberry and Darius Slay.
The Super Steelers of the 70s (sorry, just couldn’t help myself!) had at many as 12 on their roster at any given time over an illustrious six-year stretch of winning. But, rosters also didn’t turn over in those days like they do now.
Having great coaching, culture and depth are extremely important in this league, as is having a roster that has very few holes and obvious weaknesses. That's something that just might be true for how the Steelers are currently constructed.
However, while all those things and the Xs and Os are great to have, so are the "Jimmys and Joes." Meaning, having superstar players sure does go a long way to winning year after year in the incredibly competitive NFL.
Do the Steelers have enough star power for now and in the foreseeable future? That is up for debate.