Ranking Pittsburgh Steelers' Best Players so Far This Season
Although the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2017 season is only seven games in, it's not hard to figure out which players are making the most of their opportunities.
Wins and losses are a team effort, but some players' contributions are having more of a positive impact than others.
Here are the Steelers' 10 best players, based solely on their performances in 2017 thus far.
10. DE Stephon Tuitt
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There's no doubt that if Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt had played in all seven games so far this season he'd rank higher on the list.
A season ago, he totaled four sacks, 37 combined tackles and two forced fumbles. But this year, he has appeared in only four contests, missing time with a biceps injury earlier in the year and sitting out in Week 7 with a back injury.
Though the 24-year-old has played only 153 snaps, he's made an impact even in his limited time on the field. He has six combined tackles, two of which were for a loss and a pass defensed. And although he has yet to record a sack, he is still creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks, as evidenced by his 86.1 grade as a pass-rusher given him by Pro Football Focus, which is the highest among Steelers' defensive linemen.
Tuitt's importance to Pittsburgh's defense is highlighted by the five-year, $60 million contract the Steelers gave him prior to the start of the 2017 season.
While it's been disappointing that he hasn't been able to be as high-impact a player this year as the Steelers had envisioned, his few appearances on the field have shown he remains one of the team's top defenders.
9. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
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Rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has seen his playing time increase as the season has progressed, to the point where he's on the field for 70 to 80 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps.
And while he's not the Steelers' leader in receiving yards—nor the No. 2 on the team—what he has done with the football in his hands has earned him a place on this list.
Smith-Schuster has caught 17 of the 27 passes thrown his way thus far this season, for 236 yards and three scores, his most recent touchdown coming in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
He's had three receptions go for 20 or more yards. But most notably, he's become a chains-mover for the offense. Through Pittsburgh's first six games, the 20-year-old's 90 yards after the catch rank third on the team and are more than deep-threat receiver Martavis Bryant. He also has accounted for 12 first downs in the passing game, second only to Antonio Brown, through six games.
As as a second-round 2017 draft pick, it was expected Smith-Schuster would contribute early in his career and the numbers back that up. He's not only taken over slot receiver snaps from Eli Rogers but can work on the outside alongside Brown (and often in replacement for Bryant).
Smith-Schuster was the youngest player selected in this year's draft class, but he's maturing on the field in appreciable ways every week.
8. LB T.J. Watt
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Another Steelers rookie making a major impact in the first half of the season is linebacker T.J. Watt, who the team selected with their first-round pick in the spring.
Watt has been a starter on defense in every game he's appeared in (he missed Week 3 with a groin injury) and has routinely played 90 percent of the team's defensive snaps.
The only outlier of late was in Week 6, when he played 74.1 percent of the snaps, while veteran James Harrison got increased playing time against a Kansas City Chiefs offensive line he's had success against in the past. Even then, though, the Steelers made sure Watt was on the field by way of increasing his special teams snaps to 12, the most he had played since Week 1.
In seven games, Watt has totaled 26 combined tackles, including three for a loss. He's sacked opposing quarterbacks four times, earning his most recent in Week 7 along with three additional quarterback hits. He's also defended three passes and returned an interception for 17 yards.
Drafted to be an anchor of the Steelers' pass rush both immediately and in the long term, Watt has lived up to his early expectations.
The only question is whether his snaps will stay consistent as the season wears on or if Pittsburgh will more frequently turn to the well-rested Harrison down the stretch.
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7. LB Vince Williams
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Inside linebacker Vince Williams has been with the Steelers since 2013, when he was a sixth-round draft pick.
He's worked his way up the depth chart, going from a core special-teamer to a starter thanks to Lawrence Timmons' departure in free agency. And Williams has proved he belongs with Pittsburgh's defensive first team, making a positive impact both as a run defender and pass-rusher.
Williams ranks second on the defense with 34 combined tackles and is one of the team's three defenders boasting four sacks each. Though he has had some struggles—Steelers Depot counted seven missed tackles on the season for the 27-year-old through Pittsburgh's first six games—and isn't much of a factor in coverage, his contributions have both been notable and consistent.
Pittsburgh's front seven is their clear defensive strength this season and Williams is one of its fixtures. Though not as versatile a player as his interior counterpart, Ryan Shazier, he is no less integral to what the Steelers are trying to accomplish defensively this season.
6. CB Mike Hilton
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There was no guarantee that cornerback Mike Hilton was even going to make the Steelers' 53-man roster. He went into training camp one of nearly a half-dozen players vying for the team's starting nickel cornerback job and seemingly on the outside looking in.
However, numerous injuries thinned the pack and also increased Hilton's opportunities to make a positive impression on his coaches. He took advantage and not only made Pittsburgh's active roster for 2017 he is now the team's starter as the slot cornerback.
Hilton's on-field participation is thus scheme-dependent, which explains his inconsistent playing time on a week-to-week basis. When he is on the field, though, he's one of the Steelers' top defenders. His 28 tackles are among the most on the defense; two of those have been for a loss. He also has one sack, an interception and a pass defensed.
Through his first six games, passes thrown the 23-year-old's way are gaining a mere 4.5 yards on average, and he's allowed receptions on 69 percent of his targets, according to Football Outsiders' charting.
Considering he's being matched up with some of the shiftier, speedier opposing receivers, Hilton's ability to limit the damage they inflict has helped the Steelers blossom into a top-10 passing defense.
5. RB Le'Veon Bell
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Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell's season got off to a slow start, something that likely owed to the player sitting out all of this summer's training camp and all four preseason games as part of an elongated contract dispute.
As the season has progressed, however, so has Bell. He is again the centerpiece of the team's run game, which itself is a necessary component to the Steelers' overall offensive prowess.
Through seven games, he has rushed 169 times for 684 yards and four scores. His 97.7 average rushing yards per game are an indication he has returned to form, as are his team-leading first downs.
The only area in which the 25-year-old has struggled this year is as a receiver. He's caught 33 passes on 42 targets for 214 yards, giving him a per-game average of 30.6 yards, down from 51.3 a year ago.
Still, he's second on the team in after-catch yardage, proving that Bell's involvement in the passing game may be down but his positive impact is still being felt.
That after-catch ability was on display in Week 7 against the Bengals; his 42-yard reception in the second quarter was almost all after-catch yards and set up a Chris Boswell field goal.
Without Bell, the Steelers' offense is a drastically different beast, less formidable when they run the ball and less unpredictable when Ben Roethlisberger drops back to pass.
Bell is one of the NFL's best running backs, so he is also obviously one of the Steelers' best players.
4. DE Cameron Heyward
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The Steelers' other starting defensive end, Cameron Heyward, has also been a bright spot for his team thus far this season.
He has 24 combined tackles, including five for a loss, has sacked opposing quarterbacks four times and has forced and recovered one fumble while starting all seven games for his team this season. Football Outsiders also credited him with 14 total quarterback pressures through his first six games.
For his efforts, Pro Football Focus ranks Heyward seventh among interior defenders, with high marks earned both as a pass-rusher and run-stopper. And though he's rarely on the sidelines, Steelers Depot has credited him with only three missed tackles through the first six games. That's impressive, considering the defense is averaging over 12 missed tackles per game.
While Pittsburgh's defense has given up over 200 yards rushing to their opponents twice this season, the remaining five games have seen opposing offenses fail to even reach the 100-yard mark. While that's a credit to the entire Pittsburgh defense, Heyward's contributions to those efforts have been notable and necessary.
Without him, there's no doubt moving the football would be far easier for Pittsburgh's opponents this season.
3. G David DeCastro
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Steelers guard David DeCastro has been a fixture on the team's offensive line since being drafted in the first round in 2012, starting as a rookie and never relinquishing his control of the right guard spot. And he's also been one of their consistently best offensive linemen, something that has continued into the 2017 season.
DeCastro has yet to give up a sack on the season even though he has played 100 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps. He's also Pro Football Focus' top-rated run-blocking guard in the league; in concert with his top-tier pass-protection, he is their top overall guard on the season as well.
If the Steelers are struggling to keep Ben Roethlisberger protected on a given week, it's not likely DeCastro is to blame. If they cannot run the ball, the 27-year-old isn't the offensive lineman to point to.
Not only is he Pittsburgh's best offensive lineman, he's one of their best players this year regardless of position.
2. LB Ryan Shazier
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There may be no player who better defines the Steelers' defense than inside linebacker Ryan Shazier.
The 2014 Round 1 draft pick has quickly become the tone-setter on that side of the ball, and his speed and athleticism along with a high level of football talent has helped reshape the unit's entire identity.
Shazier, unsurprisingly, leads the Steelers in tackles this year, with 57 total, including four for a loss. He's been a key player in pass coverage as well, with six passes defensed and a team-leading two interceptions. He's also forced two fumbles, with one recovery. And though he's yet to record a sack, Football Outsiders has credited him with 5.5 quarterback pressures through his first six games.
There are some drawbacks to Shazier's game. As he is tasked with doing so much in all phases of the defense—and thus making him the team's leading overall defensive playmaker—he's also Pittsburgh's leader in missed tackles, with 15 through six games according to Steelers Depot.
However, if that's the cost of having such a complete and dynamic starting linebacker, the Steelers will gladly take it. His contributions far outweigh any of his limitations.
1. WR Antonio Brown
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For the previous four seasons, Antonio Brown has been one of the best, if not the best, wide receiver in the NFL. And through seven weeks of the 2017 season, it appears little has changed.
He is the most important player on Pittsburgh's offense and, pound-for-pound, their most talented on the roster. It's hard to pinpoint any other Steelers player having a better season than Brown.
So far this season, the 27-year-old has caught 52 targets on 84 for 765 yards, thus making him the league leader in both catches and yards. His 109.3 receiving yards per game also leads the league.
Brown has also accounted for well over 250 yards after the catch and the majority of his receptions have earned the Steelers first downs. To put things into perspective, Roethlisberger has 151 completions for 1,745 yards this season—that's how much the offense is leaning on the wideout.
The only area in which Brown has struggled this year is scoring; he has only three touchdowns through his first seven games. However, that is more a reflection of the Steelers' overall scoring issues, particularly in the red zone, rather than an indictment of the player's talents.
There's no doubt the Steelers would be a much different team, with a much different win-loss record, without Brown on the field.
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