Steelers' Position Battles to Watch Ahead of 2024 NFL Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be in store for a very memorable 2024 campaign. After making the playoffs with subpar quarterback play in 2023, Pittsburgh took some big swings at the QB position this offseason.
Nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson and 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields now headline Pittsburgh's quarterback room. There isn't expected to be a full-on competition between the two—Fields was told that Wilson would start when he arrived, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. However, the duo should combine to provide improved quarterback play.
While Wilson and Fields may not be battling for a starting job, other Steelers players will. With organized team activities (OTAs) already underway, now is a great time to dive into the top positional competitions to track in Pittsburgh.
We'll do exactly that here, examining the spots up for grabs, the players involved and the potential impact on the 2024 season.
Left Tackle
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Assuming Fields doesn't make things interesting at quarterback, the Steelers' most buzz-worthy position battle is likely to come at left tackle. Pittsburgh will need to protect its 35-year-old quarterback, and they'll need to find a quality complement opposite 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones.
The leading candidate will be 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu. The Steelers selected the Washington product with the left-tackle spot in mind, and ideally, he'll be an upgrade over 2023 starter Dan Moore Jr.
Moore was responsible for three penalties and eight sacks allowed last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
From a long-term perspective, Fautanu is the perfect player to form a bookend-tackle duo with Jones. He's a physical and aggressive blocker with the top-tier physical tools needed to be a difference-maker on the edge.
Of course, the Steelers don't have a history of rushing their rookies onto the field. Jones didn't earn a full-time spot in the starting lineup until Week 9 last season.
Fans will still want to see Fautanu in the lineup sooner than later, so the competition between the high-upside rookie and the more experienced Moore should generate plenty of intrigue throughout the entirety of the 2024 offseason.
Center
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While the battle for the starting center role might not generate as much interest as the competition at left tackle, it could prove to be even more pivotal. Moore is at least a serviceable starter, so if Fautanu isn't ready to go by Week 1, the offensive line won't suffer much.
However, Pittsburgh parted with starting center Mason Cole and didn't add veteran insurance after doing so. That leaves a lot riding on rookie second-round pick Zach Frazier. The good news is that Frazier appears well-equipped to start early in his career.
"Frazier is an experienced center-only prospect with adequate size, solid athletic ability and very good play strength that he combines with high-level football intelligence and competitive toughness to run the show pre-snap, lead and find ways to get defenders blocked in a variety of schemes," Brandon Thorn of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote.
Naturally, though, Pittsburgh isn't going to just hand Frazier the starting job. Nate Herbig served as a backup center last season, and guard James Daniels has some NFL experience at the position.
Ideally, Frazier will be in the Week 1 starting lineup, but Pittsburgh does have other options if it needs them. This battle could go a long way toward boosting a rushing offense that ranked just 19th in yards per carry last season.
Wide Receiver
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If Wilson and/or Fields are going to find instant success, the Steelers need to provide them with a functional receiving corps. Pittsburgh has its No. 1 receiver in George Pickens and an ascending tight end in Pat Freiermuth, but there are some questions behind those two.
The Steelers traded away No. 2 receiver Diontae Johnson in a deal that landed cornerback Donte Jackson.
Fortunately, Pittsburgh does have viable candidates to fill out its ancillary receiving roles. Calvin Austin III is back after finally seeing the field in 2023, and the Steelers added Quez Watkins, Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller in free agency.
Pittsburgh then used a third-round pick on former Michigan wideout Roman Wilson. The rookie's skill set makes him a strong candidate to take over the slot-receiver role.
"Wilson also shows quick, precise movement to most efficiently get through his route breaks, regularly creating a cushion of separation for himself," Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.
Each of Pittsburgh's new pass-catchers brings a little something different to the proverbial table. Seeing how it all shakes out in the offense of new coordinator Arthur Smith should be one of the more exciting aspects of the remaining offseason.
If all goes well, a passing offense that ranked just 21st in net yards per attempt last season will be much, much better in 2024.
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