Digging Into Steelers Key Offensive Additions

The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive is revamped with plenty of potential.

The Pittsburgh Steelers exceeded many expectations last season, which unfortunately ended in the first round of the playoffs.

Last season ended up to be the final season for their franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. It wasn't announced until after the season, but there was speculation all season that this could be the final season for Roethlisberger, and after the last home game against the Cleveland Browns, it became clear that this was going to be the last ride.

Pittsburgh had a unique season last year as they finished their season 9-7-1 with some very good wins and some very bad losses. The Steelers had a bunch of fourth-quarter comeback wins as well as fourth-quarter comebacks that came up just short this season which was on par with how they played all year long. Pittsburgh went into this season with a unique situation on the offensive side of the ball with a very young offense outside of Roethlisberger, Derek Watt, and Trai Turner, who was signed as a free agent last offseason. The Steelers' offense was ranked towards the bottom in just about every statistical category, which was one of the main concerns for their struggles last season.

This offseason, the Steelers really prioritized upgrading their offense with an upgraded offensive line, more playmakers, and finding their next franchise quarterback. We are going to take a look at the new revamped Steelers offense for the upcoming season.

Quarterbacks

Mitchell Trubisky:

One of the big free agent signings for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason was Mitchell Trubisky, who was the second overall pick for the Chicago Bears in 2017. Trubisky has a lot to prove after being the second overall pick and not really showcasing his talent in Chicago for various reasons. Trubisky took a route last season that not many players who were drafted in the top five would take so early in their career, but after leaving Chicago, he signed a one-year deal to be the backup for the Buffalo Bills. He knew he would probably not get much playing time because the Bills have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen, but Trubisky wanted to learn behind one of the best, and he wanted to be somewhere with a different culture and learn about the team aspect.

Trubisky should be a nice fit in Pittsburgh with the weapons on offense as well as his arm strength, and the most important part would be his quarterback mobility. The one massive hole in the offense from last season would be the mobility from the quarterback position, especially in a league where mobility is a major part of offenses. Trubisky should fit in nicely with Matt Canada's offense with the running game, play-action, and the RPO game that he has brought to the Steelers.

Kenny Pickett:

The Steelers used the 20th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft on Kenny Pickett out of the University of Pittsburgh. It came as a surprise to some as it was speculated that Pittsburgh was considered the team to get Malik Willis.

Pickett had a special year this past season at Pittsburgh after making the decision to come back and work on his game. Pickett coming back was the best decision he could have made as he excelled in the areas that he previously struggled in the previous season.

Pickett was one of the four Heisman finalists this past season with over 4,500 total yards, 47 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions.

Pickett will have an easy transition as he will get to play and practice in the same facility, and he will be able to call Pittsburgh "home."

Pickett will have to have a very impressive training camp and when getting playing time in preseason games as there will be a quarterback competition between Pickett, Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph.

Pickett will most likely be the quarterback of the future with the Pittsburgh Steelers as they look towards the future.

Wide Receivers

George Pickens:

George Pickens was one of the best receivers in college two years ago, but last season he had an injury that caused him to miss most of the season.

Pickens was a monster in his first two seasons in Georgia while he led the team in touchdown receptions with eight in each season. Pickens only played four games last season as he came back at the end of the season as his team was going for a National Championship, and although he didn't put up crazy numbers, his presence on the field was much needed for Georgia.

Coming into the draft, there were some attitude concerns with Pickens, as well as coming off an ACL injury, which made him fall into the second round where the Steelers drafted him.

Pickens is going to bring an attitude and a presence to this team that they were missing last season, especially when Juju went down with the shoulder injury. Pickens will get a ton of playing time this season with the Steelers, and he will thrive with the offensive weapons on the team.

Pickens could be in consideration for offensive rookie of the year this season if he gets the opportunity to be a big part of the offense and if the Steelers quarterbacks thrive in Matt Canada's system.

Calvin Austin:

One thing the Steelers missed on the offensive side of the ball last season was speed and a slot receiver who can run routes as well as thrive in the middle of the field.

Then, the Steelers drafted Calvin Austin in the fourth round, which could end up being one of the steals of the draft if he reaches his potential.

The Steelers rarely used the middle of the field last season, and they also didn't have much production from the slot position after JuJu Smith-Schuster got hurt. The addition of Austin should give the Steelers speed and great hands from the slot position, which will open up so much for their offense.

Austin was sensational for Memphis during the final two years of his career, putting up sensational numbers. Austin might be small in size, but his heart makes up for it and more.

Austin should get plenty of time in the slot as well as a punt returner as he did at Memphis and had very good success.

The Steelers nailed this draft with the two wide receivers they selected, which should be a long-term cornerstone piece for this team and add more young talent to their bright future already.

Offensive Linemen:

Mason Cole:

The Steelers' worst positional group last season was the offensive line, and it was the one major flaw in their offense. The Steelers had one of the best offensive lines in the league just a few years ago, but this past season was a whole new core who had their struggles.

Their pass blocking and run blocking were bottoms in the league, but they did have a few bright spots along the way last season.

After starting a rookie at center for most of the year last season, the Steelers needed to upgrade their offensive line in a major way this offseason, especially their center position, which was definitely a project.

Mason Cole has started most of his career games at the center position and has been a pretty reliable center. Last season when he moved all over the offensive line for the Minnesota Vikings, he played 471 snaps while only giving up two sacks, and he had zero penalties called against him. The Steelers needed a center this offseason as Kendrick Green was forced to start at center last year after playing guard for most of his career in college.

Cole will serve nicely for the Steelers in their run and pass blocking and bring some leadership to a young offensive line.

James Daniels:

Arguably the biggest offseason for the Steelers this offseason was offensive guard James Daniels.

Daniels was one of the best free agents available on the offensive line, and he is only 24-years-old. Daniels played all of his snaps at right guard last season for the Chicago Bears.

Daniels will be replacing Trai Turner at right guard after Turner signed a one-year deal last season with the Steelers and had an okay year while being a veteran presence. The key thing about the Daniels signing is that he is still very young, while also being in the league for four years, and he fits into the youth movement on the offensive line to create chemistry and grow together as a unit.

Daniels was ranked as the ninth-best guard in the league last season and is a proven guard who can be a game-changer on the Steelers' offensive line. Daniels has a chance to really make a name for himself this season and solidify himself as a top guard in the league and the guy to lead this offensive line towards the future, especially with one of the best running backs in the league behind them in Najee Harris.

The Steelers are still bringing back some key offensive starters from last season who will be looking to lead the young guys. The key returners from the offensive line are Dan Moore Jr., who had a good rookie season for being thrown right in Week 1; Kevin Dotson who was supposed to take the next step at left guard last season but battled injuries; Kendrick Green who had a down year at center as a rookie last season but will most likely compete with Dotson at the guard spot; and Chuks Okorafor who was the best offensive linemen for the Steelers last season and hopefully can take that next step this season to become the right tackle of the future.

Returning Playmakers

The Steelers have key playmakers returning as well.

Diontae Johnson is the number one receiver for the Steelers and is becoming one of the top receivers in the league.

Chase Claypool had a fantastic rookie season but hit a bump last year and is looking to bounce back this season.

Pat Freiermuth had a great rookie season and has made himself the number one tight end on the Steelers while he is looking to build on his rookie season.

Najee Harris, who was the Steelers' first-round pick last season and had over 1,000 rushing yards, and was a threat in the passing game out of the backfield with a shaky offensive line.

The Steelers have really added to their offense this offseason with playmakers and on the offensive line after having one of the worst offenses in the league. The biggest returner to the offensive side of the ball is offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who had a rough all-around year but didn't have many guys on the offensive side who fit his scheme. This year, the Steelers added versatility to fit his offense, especially at the quarterback position.

The Steelers should be a lot better on offense this season, and fans should be excited to see what Canada can do with all of these playmakers and to see what these playmakers do with the opportunity they are presented.

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