Grading the Steelers 2021 Draft Five Years Later: Why Pittsburgh’s Playoff Drought Deepened

Posted on May 28, 2026 by KT Standard 4

The picks are in and we’re in the thick of OTAs. Now it’s time to grade the Steelers draft class.

The Steelers 2021 Draft Class.

Yes, 5 years is a long time to wait to grade a draft class, but if a 5-year wait was right for Chuck Noll, then it’s right for me.

The Steelers 2021 Draft Class was Kevin Colbert’s penultimate one and while this draft wasn’t as bad as some of ones that sandwiched it, that isn’t entirely a good thing. Let’s dive into why.

Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, Steelers vs Bears

Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris represent the yin and yang of the Steelers 2021 Draft Class. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Round 1 Najee Harris – Another Rookie Tease

Critics condemned Colbert and Mike Tomlin for “Wasting a first rounder on a running back” as soon they drafted Najee Harris.

But Najee Harris delivered solid early returns.

After holding his draft party at a Bay Area homeless shelter, his rookie season suggested Harris could prove the critics wrong. And then some.

Harris played his rookie year behind an offensive line built with spit, duct tape and bubble gum, yet he still rushed for 1200 yards, scored 7 touchdowns and caught 74 passes for 467 yards.

Unfortunately, he failed to build on his rookie success.

Yes, he played well in fits and spurts. Yet at other times he subjected us to “Sludge Ball,” resulting in 3rd and longs which the offense couldn’t convert.

Najee Harris breaks one in the 4th quarter. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

That inconsistency makes it easy to forget his 4 consecutive 1000 yard seasons, his additional 1000 yards receiving, 34 touchdowns and 68 consecutive starts. Those numbers show that the Steelers did get some value out of Najee Harris even if his overall draft grade is Disappointment.

steelers, draft, grades, evaluations, bust, Kevin Colbert

True NFL Draft grades only come with years of hindsight

Round 2 Pat Freiermuth – Muuth!

If Najee Harris spent his rookie season teasing that he might live up to his first-round status, Steelers fans watched 2nd round pick Pat Freiermuth during his rookie year and asked if he might be the next Heath Miller.

Pat Freiermuth, Jordan Battle, Steelers vs Bengals, Steelers vs Bengals TNF

Pat Freiermuth stiff arms Jordan Battle en route to the end zone. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Truthfully, Pat Freiermuth hasn’t and will likely never reach that level. Instead, at a time when the Steelers have fielded some outright JV offenses, Freiermuth has always been a consistent Varsity player. Grade: Over Performer

Round 3 Kendrick Green – It Isn’t Easy Being Green

Anyone who ever needs a reminder of why you never want to enter an NFL draft with an absolute need to pick a starter, look no further than Kendrick Green.

Thanks to Maurkice Pouncey’s surprise retirement while the Steelers were in Salary Cap Armageddon the Steelers were forced to draft a starting center in the 2021 NFL draft. So they drafted Kendrick Green.

Kendrick Green struggled until Mike Tomlin benched him for J.C. Hassenauer in week 16. Green made the roster in 2022, but never earned a game day helmet.

The Steelers gave him some work at fullback at St. Vincents in the summer of 2023. But he couldn’t do enough to prove he needed a roster spot, so they traded Green to the Houston Texans where he’s started four games. Grade: Bust

Round 4 Dan Moore – More Than Expected

The Steelers didn’t only need to draft a starting-capable center in the 2021 NFL Draft, they also needed a tackle. So they drafted Dan Moore Jr. in the 4th round. Dan Moore won the left tackle starting job in training camp, and then proceeded to start all but one game for the next four years.

Moore suffered growing pains, and could never make the shift to playing right tackle.

But he improved with each passing year, although not enough to deter the Steelers from drafting Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. But drafting an offensive tackle in the 4th round who becomes an immediate starter and then proceeds to start 66 games is an outstanding success by any measure. Grade: Over Performer

Round 4: Buddy Johnson — The 4th Round Throw Away

As a non-draftnic all Steelers draft picks start with a clean slate. I do listen to experts, but take their wisdom with a grain of salt. Still, the eye rolls that accompanied Buddy Johnson’s pick perked up my ears.

And it didn’t take long to understand the eye rolls.

Buddy Johnson appeared in 4 games for the Steelers as a rookie, played 6 defensive snaps and 59 special teams snaps. The Steelers cut him the next summer. So fellow 4th rounder Dan Moore made 66 starts whereas Buddy Johnson played 65 total snaps. Grade: Bust

Round 5: Isaiahh Loudermilk – The Rookie Tease

With no 5th round pick, the Steelers traded their 2022 4th rounder to grab Isaiahh Loudermilk. The Steelers drafted Isaiahh Loudermilk counting on having both Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu.

Tuitt never played a down and Alualu was lost after just 6 quarters.

Thanks to those injuries, Loudermilk got playing time immediately. And in hindsight, it is easy to forget that Loudermilk actually had a fairly promising rookie year, batting down 3 passes, and recording a sack while playing 29% of the defensive snaps.

But like Najee Harris, Loudermilk failed to build on his rookie year.

He averaged about 19% of the defensive snaps over the next three years, and his career highlight was blocking a field goal in the 2024 Sunday Night Football loss to Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys. The Steelers brought him back for a 5th year, but he got injured after two games. Grade: Disappointment

Round 6: Quincy Roche – The Preseason Flasher

Quincy Roche started the summer off at St. Vincents strong enough for Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell to include him in a group of rookies who were “are rounding out another exceptional draft.”

By summer’s end, the Steelers coaches didn’t quite agree, as they cut Quincy Roche hoping to sneak him on the practice squad.

The New York Giants signed him, and Roche appeared in 14 games, made 3 starts, recording 2.5 sacks.

Alas, he spent his second year bouncing on and off New York’s practice squad and was cut loose in January. The Steelers brought him back to Pittsburgh, but his highlight was getting pancaked during Friday Night Lights by “fullback” Kendrick Green. He got cut 25 days later. Grade: Bust

Round 7a – Tre Norwood – Short-Term Swiss Army Knife

Officially the Steelers drafted Tre Norwood as a safety, but Mike Tomlin immediately labeled him a “Swiss Army Knife” indicating that he’d play both safety and corner. Tre Norwood saw action in all 17 games as a rookie, logging a full third of the defensive snaps.

Tre Norwood tops off Ben Roethlisberger's final game at Heinz Field by intercepting Baker Mayfield's pass after Minkah Fitzpatrick tipped it his way.

Tre Norwood intercepts a Baker Mayfield pass at the end of Ben Roethlisberger’s final game at Heinz Field. Photo Credit: Caitlyn Epee, Steelers.com

While no one was suggesting a name change to Donnie Polamalu or Troy Shell the early returns were good, with Norwood deflecting four passes and hauling in an interception to secure Ben Roethlisberger’s final win at Heinz Field.

Like other members of the Steelers 2021 Draft class, Norwood never sustained his rookie momentum, and was gone after 2022. Grade: Serviceable Pickup

Round 7b: Pressley Harvin III — Mr. Inconsistency

The Steelers used their final pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Pressley Harvin III, a punter out of Georgia Tech, hoping to find a long-term upgrade at the position. Pressley Harvin punted for 3 seasons, was good at times, but he lacked consistency and was gone after 2023. Grade: Disappointment.

Steelers 2021 Draft Class Helps Explain, Extend Playoff Drought

When the 2021 Steelers unexpectedly made the playoffs, Jim Wexell’s initial assessment of “another exceptional draft” looked smart. Everyone, except Kendrick Green and Buddy Johnson had shown concrete reasons for hope – as had Roche with the Giants.

Sadly, only Pat Freiermuth and Dan Moore built on their rookie success.

The others did enough to hang on as backups, or even starters, but none developed into anything exceptional. In many ways, his draft class was similar to the Steelers 2018 Draft Class, which set the seeds for stagnation.

For its part, the Steelers 2021 Draft Class deepened the roots of the franchise’s current playoff drought by adding players who, with the exception of Freiermuth, never developed into differnece-makers and who instead excelled at being ordinary. Overall grade: C.

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Steelers Draft Gabriel Rubio, DT of Notre Dame in 6th Round of 2026 NFL Draft

Posted on April 27, 2026 by KT Standard Reply

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Gabriel Rubio, defensive tackle out of Notre Dame in the 6th round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The move addressed defensive line, the 7th most urgent need on the Steelers 2026 Draft Needs Matrix and, for the first time in the 2026 draft, Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy shifted back towards Mike Tomlin’s long-standing emphasis of tapping into NFL bloodlines.

Steelers 2026 6th round draft pick Gabriel Rubio in action for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Photo Credit: AP, via the Tribune-Review

During the 1998 NFL Draft the Steelers drafted Gabriel’s father, Angel Rubio with their final pick. The elder Rubio however never played a down for the Steelers and his NFL career was limited to two appearances in 1999 with the Atlanta Falcons.

Rubio described his father’s reaction as “ecstatic.”

Rubio played some nose tackle for the Fighting Irish, but has experience playing at all of the interior positions on the defensive line, including playing the 4i technique, which is what Cam Heyward plays.

Steel City Insider’s Roy Countryman had Rubio rated on his undrafted rookie free agent value board.

Gabriel Rubio Highlights: Notre Dame DT Film Breakdown

Injuries limited Rubio to just six games last season, but his film shows intriguing versatility across the defensive line. Watch his Notre Dame highlights below:

Key takeaways: Rubio shows the ability to play nose tackle, 3-technique, and 4i, giving the Steelers developmental depth behind Heyward, Harmon and Keeanu Benton.

How Gabriel Rubio Fits the Steelers Defensive Line Rotation

In keeping with the theme of this draft, Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham declined to pigeonhole Gabriel Rubio at a specific position.

That’s actually very good for Rubio.

Because, while being drafted by the team that drafted his father is an irresistible storyline, there’s another Fighting Irishman who was drafted by the Steelers who Rubio should try to emulate. No, not Stephon Tuitt – that would be too much to ask a 6th round draft pick, but rather Oliver Gibson.

The Steelers drafted Gibson out of Notre Dame, in the 4th round of the 1995 NFL Draft.

And although he was officially a nose tackle, he played 60 games for the Steelers working in at all three positions on the defensive line as part of John Mitchell’s legendary rotation system.

That’s the road Rubio needs to follow. In addition to proving he can contribute on special teams, he needs to show coaches he can spell Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, and Keeanu Benton, without ensuring a drop off in play, the same way that Yahya Black did in 2025.

Welcome to Steelers Nation Gabriel Rubio.

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Trading Up for Isaiahh Loudermilk Was a Mistake by the Steelers. But, Should He Be Done in Pittsburgh?

Posted on March 7, 2025 by KT Standard Reply

The Pittsburgh Steelers are conservative about making draft-day trades involving future draft picks. So when they do it raises eyebrows and turns heads. This was the reaction when they traded up for Shamarko Thomas in 2013.

When they did it again in 2021 with Isaiahh Loudermilk triggered memories of that ill-fated draft-day trade.

As he reaches free agency, there’s no question that, like Shamarko Thomas before him, Loudermilk clearly hasn’t been worth trading up for. The question remains, can anything be salvaged with an extended stay in Pittsburgh?

Isaiahh Loudermilk, James Conner, Steelers vs Cardinals

Isaiahh Loudermilk tackles James Conner. Photo Credit: SteelersNOW.com

Profile of Isaiahh Loudermilk’s Steelers Career

When the Steelers traded their 2022 4th round pick for the Dolphin’s 2021 5th round pick and drafted Isaiahh Loudermilk, little did they know that their defense line was about to fall off a cliff. First Stephon Tuitt retired. And then, 5 quarters into the season, Tyson Alualu was lost.

Suddenly, the Steelers defensive line was down to Cam Heyward playing alongside a bunch of J.V. defensive lineman whose names no one remembers. Loudermilk got pressed into service sooner than expected appearing in 15 games clocking in at 29% of the defensive snaps.

And the early look on Loudermilk was good.

In his rookie year he batted down 3 passes, recorded a sack and logged 23 tackles – not bad for a 5th round draft pick, right? Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell even flirted with the idea that Loudermilk reminded him a bit of a young Aaron Smith.

Unfortunately, Loudermilk had difficulty building on that, as he averaged below 20% of defensive snaps for 2022 and 2023. While Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton’s arrivals had a lot to do with that, Loudermilk failed to push either man for playing time.

Loudermilk’s snap count did increase in 2024, but he only registered 1 more tackle than 2023. He’s also been a regular contributor on special teams, highlighted by his block of Brandon Aubrey’s field goal attempt in the Steelers loss to the Cowboys.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Isaiahh Loudermilk

Let’s embrace the elephant in the room: Isaiahh Loudermilk has not proved himself worthy of trading a future 4th round pick in order to get him in the 5th round.

But that’s not his fault any more than it was Matt Spaeth’s fault that the Steelers traded up to the third round to grab him. If you view Loudermilk as solely on his status as a 5th-round draft pick who has developed into a serviceable back up and solid special teamer you see him in a different light.

That makes him the perfect “…He knows the system” veteran that you resign at the veteran minimum for depth and to staff special teams.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Isaiahh Loudermilk

The good news is that the Steelers defensive line has improved since suffering its historic lows of the Loudermilk’s rookie season. The bad new is that there’s scant evidence to show that Loudermilk has contributed to that improvement. Worse yet, the 2024 NFL playoffs reinforced the reality that the Steelers defensive line is a long, long way away from being championship caliber.

Has Loudermilk shown us any evidence to suggest that he can be a component of a championship caliber NFL defensive line?

No he hasn’t.

Ergo Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin should like Loudermilk walk and find this generation’s Nick Eason or Travis Kirschke elsewhere.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Isaiahh Loudermilk

Defensive line is clearly Pittsburgh’s biggest need in the 2025 off season. They must add quality and quantity. An ideal scenario would see them adding a 3-down capable nose tackle or a pure defensive end capable of taking Cam Heyward’s place. And, if they could find someone capable of replacing Larry Ogunjobi either now or in the future that would be even better.

Loudermilk’s fate likely hinges on how the draft unfolds for the Steelers.

If the Steelers come out of the 2025 NFL Draft with 3 new defensive lineman, Loudermilk likely gets caught up in a numbers game. If they don’t then he’ll likely get return for at or near the veteran minimum.

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Cam Heyward Goes on IR – Can the Steelers D Repeat the 2016 Rebound?

Posted on September 16, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

The ’23 Steelers opening day loss to the 49ers left virtually no positives (save for perhaps Anthony McFarland’s play.) But worse than the 30-7 drubbing, the Steelers lost Cam Heyward for what most expect to be an 8 week stretch.

This one hurts.

Paying homage to Franco, Cam Heyward leads Steelers out of tunnel. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

With all due respect to Ben Roethlisberger and/or “The Killer Bees,” Cam Heyward has been the face of the franchise for the better part of a decade.

Without Heyward the Steelers won’t simply be losing a man who has 20.5 sacks to his name over the last two years alone, they’re losing their undisputed leader on the field and off of it.

Cam Heyward has been remarkably durable throughout his career. With the exception of 2016 you can count the games Heyward has missed due to injury on your fingers.

Yet, this isn’t the first time the Steelers have lost Cam Heyward for an extended stretch.

And if it looks bad to lose Heyward now, things felt far bleaker when Heyward went in injured reserve in 2016. The Steelers had just lost 4 straight games, including giving up 2 touchdowns to Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys inside the 2-minute warning.

When news of Heyward’s torn peck broke, this humble scribe channeled his Bill Paxton, posting a YouTube video declaring, “Game Over Man, Game Over!”

The defense was floundering and it has just lost its best and most consistent player.
The season truly seemed be lost.

Except the defense wasn’t done and the Steelers season would extend all the way to the AFC Championship.

Can the Steelers flip the script again?

Lessons from the Steelers 2016 Rebound

As Mike Tomlin declared this week, there is no one man who can replace Cam Heyward. And, in that respect, on paper at least the Steelers are in better position at defensive line than they were in 2016.

Yes 2023’s Larry Ogunjobi and Montravius Adams are steps down from Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave of 2016.

But Ogunjobi and Adams have far stronger supporting casts to lean on. In 2016 the Steelers backup defensive ends were Ricardo Mathews, L.T. Walton, Johnny Maxey with Daniel McCullers offering depth at nose tackle. Mathews and Maxey never played a down after 2016 and Walton and McCullers remained on the roster as footnotes for a few season afterwards.

DeMarvin Leal, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Armon Watts and rookie Keeanu Benton look like studs by comparison, although the group lacks experience.

Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler made changes in the way they deployed the Steelers defense during the back half of 2016. But the biggest change came in Tomlin’s decision to start James Harrison over Jarvis Jones. Harrison might have “only” registered 3 sacks during the rest of the season, but one of James’ underrated abilities was to seal the edge in the run game.

With T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, the Steelers don’t have go to their outside linebacker bullpen, which is a plus.

Ryan Shazier, Bud Dupree, Steelers vs Dolphins playoffs

Ryan Shazier returns an interception at Heinz Field. Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller, Getty Images via USA Today’s Steelers Wire

A key difference which isn’t a plus compared to 2016 is experience. The Steelers defensive line is young, as it was in 2016, but in contrast to ’16, the inside linebackers playing behind them are new to the team and to the system.

By the middle of 2016 Ryan Shazier was coming into his own, and Vince Williams had established himself as a steady, physical presence in the middle of the Steelers defense.

On the flip side, the Steelers secondary of 2016 didn’t have anyone remotely close to the caliber of Minkah Fitzpatrick, nor did they have anyone with the pedigree of Patrick Peterson. Joey Porter Jr. is a rookie, but I don’t think we even need 20/20 hindsight to say he’s an upgrade from Artie Burns who was a rookie in 2016.

So when you weigh the differences in personnel and experience between 2023 and 2016, the Steelers have about an even shot at compensating for Cam Heyward’s absence.

Interesting Insider Insight

The situation may have felt desperate from the outside looking in in 2016, but that was not the case on the South Side.

As Craig Wolfley reported in Steel City Insider the day after the 2016 loss to the Cowboys an assistant coach declared: “You’re about to see one of the greatest turnarounds in Steelers history.”

That prediction came from Todd Haley of all people.

Haley was right because Mike Tomlin doesn’t just mouth his “Next man up” mantra, he lives it. If he can get his players to buy into as strongly he did in 2016 then the Steelers should be able to weather the storm without Cam Heyward.

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Change the Pennsylvania State Song to the Steelers/Western Pennsylvania Polka

Posted on July 4, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

As the month of June ended two things caught my attention:

1. The Steelers seemingly avoided their dreaded June Curse
2. The Pennsylvania State legislature was considering changing the official state song

The former is most welcome, given that June is the month that where the Steelers lost Chuck Noll, see Willie Colon’s season end due to an off season injury, cut David DeCastro and have Stephon Tuitt lose is brother, ultimately leading him to retire.

If the former is about avoiding tragedy, the former is about embracing opportunity. That’s right. If the Pennsylvania State Legislature wants to change the state song, then there can be no better option than Jimmy Psihoulis “Western Pennsylvania Polka.

Residents of Philadelphia, Lancaster, Allentown, King of Prussia might object, saying the State Song should be about the entire state, not just its western part. Sure, that makes superficial sense.

But the truth is, popular culture already gives those parts of the state already disproportionate share of their adieu.

Think about it, Philly has the Cheesesteak and Philadelphia Cream Cheese, the latter of which is a global commodity (yes, you can even find it here in Buenos Aires, if you look for it.) Its most famous resident, Ben Franklin, is on the 100 dollar bill. And of course one of Tom Hanks breakthrough roles was in Philadelphia – sure, he played also Mr. Rogers, but he didn’t even attempt the accent.

Speaking of accents, the Philly/Southwestern Pennsylvania accent got four-star treatment in the Mayor of Eastown. Lot’s and lots of movies and TV shows get filmed and/or set in Pittsburgh.

But when was the last time you heard a character ask, “Sorry, but yinz mind getting owta of my road for a minute? I gotta I redd the table. And hey, as you’re getting up can you hand me those gumbands?”

Steelers Polka, Western Pennsylvania Polka, Jimmy Pol, Jimmy Psihoulis

Jimmy Psihoulis aka “Jimmy Pol” at Three Rivers Stadium in 1979 during the AFC Championship game

Lancaster has the movie Witness and the Amish tradition. Allentown has its own Billy Joel song. The name “King of Prussia” evokes images of Bismarck and 19th century German might.

More importantly, Jimmy Pol’s Western Pennsylvania Polka stands on its own.

As the official Pennsylvania state song, it will teach citizens about the Commonwealth’s history and offer true life lessons that everyone can benefit. A simple, stanza-by-stanza analysis of the lyrics proves this:

Da-Da-Da-Da-Ta-Da – Charge!

We’re from the town with that great football team,
We cheer the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chuck Noll and all his friends are all on the field.
Go out and get them Steelers.

Too many kids and adults today sit on couches with faces fixed screens. What better antidote than meeting friends on the field to play?

Bradshaw, and Rocky, and Franco and Lynn,
We love you Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s been many years in coming,
just keep that Steelers machinery humming

The last time lines bring home an important message: Good things take time, so it’s important to appreciate them when they do come.

Defense, Defense, make them scramble, intercept that ball.
Defense, Defense, keeps the Steelers always best of all!
Mean Joe, Mean Joe, do your thing against the other team,
You start from year to year, we’re so glad you play here,
Now join with me, and sing the Steelers cheer-er-ER!

Joe Greene single handedly shifted the trajectory of an entire franchise – what an excellent example of empowerment in action — from a Penn State grad no less!.

We’re from the town with that great football team,
We cheer the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Winning’s a habit, not only a dream,
Go out and get them Steelers!

Good habits lead to consistent, successful performance.

Gerela’s Gorrilas are here for the show,
and so is Franco’s Army,
It’s been many years in coming,
just keep that Steelers machinery humming.

In just 12 words we’re celebrating conservationism, diversity and lauding the contributions of immigrants to the Keystone State.

Offense, Offense, take that football whole way up the field!
Offense, Offense, let’s score and score and never ever yield!
Franco, Franco, can you believe we have a running game?

Take the initiative and always remain persistent – what state legislator could argue with a song that teaches that lesson?

The Steelers are so great, and so hard to overrate,
Good things, will come, to those who work and wait.
Charge!

Reinforcing the reality that you achieve excellence through patience and hard work instead of instant gratification.

So really the case is clear.

The move to change Pennsylvania’s state song is a bi-partisan effort pushed by Reps Craig Williams and Joe Ciresi.

The only remaining is, gentleman, what are you waiting for?

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Steelers 2023 Draft Needs @ Defensive Line: Time to Find Cam’s Replacement?

Posted on April 24, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

Playing defensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t just about helping the team win games, its also about maintaining a legacy.

In 2021, the Steelers defensive line was a glaring liability. Looking back at the 2022 season it is safe to say that the Steelers defensive line once again helped Pittsburgh win football games.

In the 2023 NFL Draft it is time for the Steelers to start looking for defensive lineman who can defend its legacy.

Paying homage to Franco, Cam Heyward leads Steelers out of tunnel. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Steelers Depth Cart at Defensive Line: The Starters

Cameron Heyward hasn’t lived up to the Steelers legacy at defensive line. Yes, you read that right. You can’t say Cam has lived up to the legacy because he has added to it. In 2022, Cameron Heyward logged 10.5 sacks, batted away 4 passes, forced one fumble and dropped 14 players behind the line of scrimmage.

And he did it at age 33.

When Stephon Tuitt announced his retirement in June of 2022, things looked bleak. Absent Tuitt, Cam Heyward had looked like a future Hall of Famer playing along side NAIA second stringers. However, Omar Khan went out and signed Larry Ogunjobi.

Larry Ogunjobi’s 1.5 sacks and 7 tackles for a loss might look pedestrian, but with Ogunjobi in the line up, the Steelers field the 8th best defense against the run instead of the 32nd best defense against the run in 2022.

The Steelers signed Montravius Adams off of the New Orelans practice squad in November 30 and he improved the defense. He started 17 games in 2022 contributing to the turn around against the run.

Steelers Defensive Line Depth Chart: The Backups

Quantity. That’s the best way to describe the Steelers depth chart behind their starters on defensive line. Leading the way is DeMarvin Leal, the Steelers whom the Steelers drafted with their third round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Leal didn’t see much action as a rookie, but tellingly when the Steelers run defense came up soft against the run at home against the Ravens, Mike Tomlin responded by getting Leal into the line up, and the run defense improved.

The Steelers also have Isaiahh Loudermilk whom they traded up to get in the 2021 NFL Draft. As a rookie Loudermilk saw playing time on a horrible defensive line but still managed to flash. His second season was a disappointment, with Loudermilk not even suit up for the first four games and only seeing 18% of the snaps after that – down from 29% as a rookie.

Omar Khan has been aggressive in adding to the defensive line in free agency signing Breiden Fehoko and Amon Watts who look like good value signings.

Steelers Draft, Steelers Draft Needs scale

Steelers Draft Needs Scale 2023

The Steelers 2023 Defensive Line Draft Needs

The Steelers are basically in the same place they were a year ago on defensive line. They’ve got starters on defensive line, one of whom is aging, and they’re OK in the middle. Behind that they’ve got a lot of names.

“Ah, but DeMarvin Leal!” you counter? Yes he looked good in limited action as a rookie, you could have said the same thing about Loudermilk this time a year ago. While Loudermilk’s draft status will likely earn him another season, it isn’t too much of a stretch to say he’s 2023’s version of Henry Mondeaux

“Ah, but the free agency signings” you protest? Breiden Fehoko and Amon Watts do offer a lot of potential and “Upside” but they’re basically replacements for Tyson Alualu and Chris Wormley.

Put that all together and the Steelers need at defensive line going into the 2023 NFL Draft should be considered as High.

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Unfortunately, for Steelers Free Agent Chris Wormley, Sometimes Timing is Everything

Posted on March 13, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

On December 2nd, 2020 the stories of Chris Wormley and Bud Dupree intertwined an a eerie way to show that sometimes timing is everything in the NFL.

And that’s bad news for Chris Wormley as he reaches free agency.

Chris Wormley, Lamar Jackson, Steelers vs Ravens

Chris Wormley sacks Lamar Jackson. Photo Credit: Don Wright, Shutterstock.

Capsule Profile of Chris Wormley’s Career with the Steelers

The Steelers traded for Chris Wormley in March 2020, marking a rare interdivision trade. The Steelers used Wormley sparingly for most of the year. However, his snap count spiked to 45% in that fateful December game against the Ravens. Although Wormley didn’t do much of note during 2020, the Steelers resigned Wormley the next spring to a two year deal.

In 2021 Wormely became the defacto starter thanks to Stephon Tuitt’s retirement and Tyson Alualu’s season-ending injury. He logged 7 sacks, batted down 3 passes, made 6 tackles for losses and hit quarterbacks 10 other times. His best game by far was a 2.5 sack effort in the Steelers upset of the Ravens at Heinz Field.

With that said, he played 71% of the snaps on a Steelers defensive front that was historically bad against the run – and let’s be clear, Cam Heyward was not the weak link up front.

In 2022 his workload dropped thanks to the arrival of Larry Ogunjobi, and the only splah play he made was a half sack against the Ravens at home. That was also his last game of the year, as he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the season.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Chris Wormley

So maybe Chris Wormley’s 2021 performance was a bit of an achievement. It still shows he has serviceable skills and can provide valuable depth. Bringing him back on a team-friendly deal is a no-brainer.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Chris Wormley

Cam Heyward’s not getting any younger. Larry Ogunjobi might not be back. Isaiahh Loudermilk failed the make the 2nd year leap (if anything, he regressed.) The Steelers need defensive lineman, but they need more than bodies.

Save the roster spot, if not the salary cap space, on someone who has legitimate “Upside” because Wormley does not.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Chris Wormley

Chris Wormley saw his first extended action in the same game where Bud Dupree tore his ACL. Dupree was coming off of a career year. Things might not have worked out well for him in Tennessee, but he still got paid.

Wormley’s not so lucky. He tore his ACL at the end of a year where his effort was rather middling – at best.

He can still be a good 4th or perhaps 5th lineman for the Steelers, but given his injury and his subpar year, his next contract is likely going to be for the veteran minimum.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2023 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2023 free agent focus articles.

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Cost, Benefit: Steelers Can’t Afford to Lose or Overpay Larry Ogunjobi in Free Agency

Posted on March 6, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

Street free agents are the NFL’s bottom feeders. As the name implies, they’re literally NFL veterans that teams sign off of the streets because no one else wants them.

Street free agents were Kevin Colbert’s secret weapon. Time and time again, an emergency would create a need for a starter and he’d find guys like Fernando Velasco or Flozell Adams stepped in and immediately began contributing.

Larry Ogunjobi was Omar Khan’s first street free agent signing, arriving in Pittsburgh by virtue of Stephon Tuitt’s retirement. There’s no question that Larry Ogunjobi gave the Steelers defense a shot in the arm. Was that shot effective enough to keep him in Pittsburgh?

Larry Ogunjobi, Leonard Fournette, Steelers vs Bucaneers

Larry Ogunjobi stuffs Leonard Fournette. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Capsule Profile of Larry Ogunjobi’s Career with the Steelers

Sometimes statistics are simply insufficient to measure a player’s performance. Case in point Larry Ogunjobi’s 2022 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He made 48 tackles, 7 of which were for losses and registered 1.5 sacks. In 2021 while playing for the Cincinnati Bengals he made 49 tackles, had 7 sacks and 10 tackles for losses.

In both season Larry Ogunjobi started 16 games. Seems pretty ominous, doesn’t it?

Now consider this. In 2021 the Steelers defense ranked 32 against the run. Beyond being dead last in the NFL, you have go back to the 1940’s to find a worse Steelers run defense. Larry Ogunjobi isn’t the sole reason for that change, having Myles Jack behind him and Brian Flores wearing the coaching headset helped, but Ogunjobi played a big part.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Larry Ogunjobi

In Cam Heyward the Steelers have an All Pro defensive lineman who, quite frankly should probably get Hall of Fame consideration (but probably won’t.) And we saw in 2021 that Cam can’t do it alone.

With Larry Ogunjobi in the line up, Heyward continued to dominate AND the line was an asset to a defense on the rise instead being a glaring liability. Although defensive lineman come at a premium in free agency, Ogunjobi lack of “splash” plays should make him affordable.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Larry Ogunjobi

Last year when Larry Ogunjobi became a free agent the Chicago Bears wasted little time in offering him a 40 million dollars over 3 years. But Chicago backed out of that deal just as quickly when Ogunjobi failed a physical.

While Ogunjobi only missed one game for the Steelers, his name was a permeant fixture on the injury report.

While its unlikely that any team will offer him the type of money that the Bears did last year, resigning Larry Ogunjobi will require several million dollars in guarantees and an average salary that’s likely trending towards 8 figures.

Meanwhile, the Steelers have DeMarvin Leal on a rookie deal, will likely draft a defensive lineman with one of their top three picks and can add a “veteran whose ideal to be the first guy off the bench” defensive lineman similar to what they did in 2017 when they signed Tyson Alualu.

They can do all of that for less than what it would likely take to resign Larry Ogunjobi.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Larry Ogunjobi

What happens with Larry Ogunjobi will be one of the more interesting off season questions. Even if the Steelers projects DeMarvin Leal as starter going into 2023 depth on the defensive line is perilously thin.

That means that letting Larry Ogunjobi walk all but commits the Steelers to using one of their top three picks on a defensive lineman – they may want to do this anyway, but his absence could force them to reach.

Despite his injury history, the Steelers still had to pay him 8,000,000 dollars last year. If he’s willing to come back for something in that range, the it make sense to do that deal. If he’s looking for the kind of payday Chicago offered them then the Steelers should take a pass.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2023 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2023 free agent focus articles.

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End of an Era: John Mitchell Retires after 29 Years as a Steelers Assistant Coach

Posted on February 21, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

Little did he know, but Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was about to start the “John Mitchell” era.

The day was Tuesday January 11th, 1993. The site was Three Rivers Stadium and the 1993 Steelers season had ended in with a bang. Literally.

The Steelers reached the end of 4th quarter clinging to a 7-point lead in a Wild Card game against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. A failed attempt on third down sent Mark Royals out to punt. Steelers cast off Keith Cash blocked it, giving the Chiefs the ball deep in Pittsburgh territory. Worse yet, Cash gave Joe Montana what you absolutely could not give him – a 2nd chance.

Montana tied the game in regulation and Nick Lowery won it on overtime. Bill Cowher reacted decisively.

He fired Special Teams coach John Guy. Everyone expected this. The blocked punt culminated a season of special team’s disaster. He also fired wide receivers coach Bob Harrison. And Cowher made one more move: He sacked defensive line coach Steve Furness.

Cowher surprised everyone with the Furness firing. Not only was Steve Furness a Steel Curtain Veteran sporting 4 Super Bowl rings, but the arrow seemed to be pointing up on Steelers defensive line.

Indeed. Instead of mouthing the obligatory “Thanks to the Rooneys for the opportunity” words, Furness made no attempt to hide his bitterness and the firing apparently haunted him for the rest of his life.

But as so often is the case in the NFL, when a door closes for one person, it creates an opportunity for another.

John Mitchell, Steelers Assistant Coach 29 years

John Mitchell, 29 years a Steelers Assistant coach. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Bill Cowher hired John Mitchell to coach the defensive line. John Mitchell didn’t so much as take advantage of that opportunity, but rather he molded it, transformed it and remade it as his own.

Mitchell retired last week after 29 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In stepping away, Mitchell ends an era for the Pittsburgh Steelers that was as remarkable as it was understated.

To understand just how understated the “Mitchell Era” was try this test: Strip a Steelers fan of his or her smart phone and ask – “Who was the longest tenured Steelers defensive coach?” Most would probably answer “Dick LeBeau.” Some will probably say “Bud Carson” or “George Perles.” “Tony Dungy” might earn an honorable mention. I guarantee you that few would answer “John Mitchell” even though with 29 years of service as defensive line and then assistant head coach that is the right answer.

To understand how remarkable Mitchell’s tenure has been, consider the fate of his opposite number on offensive line. When the Steelers hired Karl Dunbar to replace Mitchell as defensive line coach in 2018, we observed that since Dunbar’s rookie training camp at St. Vincents in 1991, the only other coaches the title of “Defensive line coach” for the Pittsburgh Steelers were Joe Greene and Furness.

Since Dunbar’s return in 2018, the Steelers have cycled through Mike Munchak, Shaun Saurett, Adrian Klemm and Pat Meyer as offensive line coaches.

As Dick Hoak observed when he retired as Steelers running backs coach “You’re hired to be fired. I guess I beat the system.” So did John Mitchell.

And he beat the system by remolding and reforming the young defensive lineman in his own image. This fact has been well known and evident in the fact that very few defensive lineman started for John Mitchell as rookies.

Mitchell explained this system to Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell,

Aaron Smith’s first two years, he didn’t like me because I never called him by his name. I called him ninety-one. Aaron Smith came from a small school, Northern Colorado, and they only had about three or four coaches on the staff, so Aaron Smith didn’t know any fine points about football. When he got here, he had to play technique football. The first year and a half was pretty tough on him.

Aaron Smith agrees, sharing with Ron Lippock from Steelers Takeaways: “We laugh about it now. I thought he hated me and I hated him. But now, there’s no greater person.”

For a quarter century Mitchell put the Steelers defensive line through similar paces.

Johnny Mitchell, Steelers defensive line coach Johnny Mitchell, Johnny Mitchell's Steelers coaching career

Steelers defensive line coach Johnny Mitchell at his best – teaching in the trenches. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Even the most educated fan has a difficult, if not impossible time assessing a position coach. Do you judge Carnell Lake on the disappointing careers that Cortez Allen and Shamarko Thomas authored? Or do you measure the “Lake Effect” on William Gay’s maturation following his return to Pittsburgh and rejuvenation of Kennan Lewis under Lake’s tutelage?

But when a truly great assistant coach comes along no such intellectual gymnastics are necessary. John Mitchell is one of those assistant coaches. What to understand his impact? The just look at these players: Joel Steed, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, Chris Hoke, Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave.

Thank you John Mitchell to your contributions to the “Steelers Way.” We wish you the best in retirement.

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Teacher’s Late! (Again): Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 Season Report Card

Posted on February 8, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

Taken from the grade book of a teacher who waited until the last day before summer to get his grades in, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2022 season.

Cameron Heyward after sacking Deshaun Watson. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterbacks
Kenny Pickett went 7-5 completed 63% of his passes 2404 yards for 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Pickett progressed following the bye, getting stronger each week and leading 3 come from behind wins. Taken alone his work was “Good.” However, Mitch Trubisky performed poorly as a starter early in the season and, although he did well in relief against Tampa Bay and Carolina, his interceptions against Baltimore cost the Steelers both the game and the playoffs. This brings the grade down. Grade: B-

Running Backs
2022 marks a banner year for the Steelers rushing attack. Najee Harris worked through early injuries to earn 1054 yards. Jaylen Warren’s 379 yards might seem pedestrian, but his role as a third down and rotational back saved Harris 71 touches. Beyond the numbers, the duo ran both harder, smarter and with more authority as the year progressed, forcing piles forward. Derek Watt got into the act with 8 first down runs. Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland delivered when their number was called. Grade: A

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth continued to build on his role as a “go to” target in critical moments. Zach Gentry was steady as a number 2 tight end. Connor Heyward only had his number called a handful of times, but he answered each of them. Grade: B

Wide Receivers

Diontae Johnson lead the unit with 86 catches followed by rookie George Pickens by 52. After that there’s a steep drop to Chase Claypool who wasn’t even on the team for the last nine games. Steven Sims functioned as the 3rd wide receiver Gunner Olszewski making cameo appearances. Much has been made of the lack of explosive plays and dearth of touchdowns from this group, but that’s largely not their fault. They executed well in the ball-control focused offense during the season’s 2nd half, and answered with clutch plays time-and-time again on game winning drives. Grade: B

George Pickens makes a clutch catch. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Offensive Line
The offensive line turned a corner in 2022. By the end of 2019 it was a liability and it struggled for the next two seasons. It started slowly in 2022 but improved as the season progressed. Pass protection must continue to improve, but run blocking was an asset late in the year. Grade: B-

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward had another monster year and is the team’s undisputed leader on and off the field. Larry Ogunjobi’s stat sheet won’t make Fantasy Football owners salivate, but he was a tremendous asset in stopping the run. Montravius Adams was solid in the middle. Grade: A-

Linebackers
The evolution of Alex Highsmith has a pass-rushing, edge-setting outside linebacker was the biggest story of the year. Highsmith had 14.5 sacks and 12 tackles for losses. Myles Jack stabilized the center of the field leading the team in sacks. Devin Bush’s play was stable at the beginning of the year, but fell out of favor due to rookie Mark Robinson’s development. T.J. Watt missed half of the year and took time get back to full strength, but his return boosted the entire defense. Grade: B+

Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepts the final Falcons pass. Photo Credit: USA Today SteelersWire

Secondary
Ball Hawking. That was the Steelers secondary’s calling card in 2022. Minkah Fitzpatrick led the unit with 6 interceptions, followed by Levi Wallace’s 4, Cam Sutton’s 3, Damontae Kazee’s 2, while Ahkello Witherspoon, Arthur Maulet and James Pierre all had 1. Overall, the defense was 16th on third down efficiency and struggled when matched with high power passing offenses like the Bengals, Bills and Eagles. Grade: B+

Special Teams
Danny Smith’s special teams had an up and down year. Chris Boswell was solid, until suffering an injury and then had his difficulties. Matthew Wright was excellent in relief. Steven Simms added dynamism to the kick return game, but he did fumble three times. The Steelers coverage teams also began giving up long returns late in the year. Pressley Harvin was a bit erratic early in the year, but settled down as time wore on and did a good job of pinning teams down inside the 20. Grade: B-

Coaching
Have Steelers fans vilified any other offensive coordinator more than Matt Canada? Probably Joe Walton, if you control for the absence of social media. But at least Joe Walton deserved it. Matt Canada? Not so much.

The Steelers offense began 2022 worse than it was in 2021 thanks to the absence of a franchise quarterback and overall lack of experience. Execution errors rather than schemes or play calling strategies drove many, if not most, of the Steelers early offensive woes.

As the offense gained experience they eliminated the errors and victories followed.

Yes, the Steelers still need a more aggressive, effective downfield passing game – but that’s largely not a product of play calling. The Steelers certainly do need to execute better in the Red Zone. But as games against Carolina and Cleveland confirmed, Canada’s cocktail of long, ball-controlling drives that end with touchdowns is lethal.

Teryl Austin, with a strong assist from the recently departed Brian Flores turned a Steelers defense around that was headed in the wrong direction. True, the defense was a different unit with T.J. Watt in the line up. But Dick LeBeau’s defenses were far superior when Troy Polamalu was playing. While the Steelers defense wasn’t tested against an elite passer following the bye week, they were stout against the run down the stretch.

That brings us to Mike Tomlin.

For the second time since his arrival in 2007, his team opened the season 2-6. And as he did in 2013, Mike Tomlin turned it around and had his team in the hunt for a playoff spot until the waning moments if their final game.

Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, Steelers 2022 Draft Class, Kevin Colbert last draft

Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin at their final press conference. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

In terms of X’s and O’s Tomlin accomplished this by refusing to given into knee jerk reactions or drop into coaching by crisis mode. In terms of managing people, Tomlin convinced his locker room to believe in the Steelers Way and ultimately themselves. Grade: A

Front Office
In his final spring on the job Kevin Colbert enjoyed record amounts of salary cap space and succeeded in using it to bolster the Steelers offensive lines an interior defense. It is way, way too early to evaluate Kevin Colbert’s final NFL Draft class, but the early returns are extremely positive.

Omar Khan took over the helm in June and Kahn’s first act was to sign Larry Ogunjobi in response to Stephon Tuitt’s retirement. Kahn’s next moves were to ink extensions for Minkah Fitzpatrick, Chris Boswell and Diontae Johnson, moves he made early in the summer, eliminating potential distractions. And Khan moved Chase Claypool for a 2nd round pick, a move that looks like an absolute coup today. Grade: A-

Robert Spillane, Andy Dalton, Steelers vs Saints

Robert Spillane stops Andy Dalton cold on 4th down. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Unsung Hero Award
He started out 2019 as a Tennessee Titan cast off who’d bounce on and off the roster and practice squad multiple times. He began 2020 as the one player the Steelers could absolutely NOT afford to see play. Then injuries forced him in and although he delivered, during the summer of 2021 the Steelers still made a trade to shore up his position. So he began 2022 as a rotational starter, playing roughly 1/3 of the snaps.

That snap percentage jumped to 80% during the seven-game winning streak the Steelers authored to close the 2022 season and leapt to a perfect 100% in the final four games, which saw the Steelers get better week-by-week. Coincidence? I don’t think so either which is why Robert Spillane wins the Unsung Hero Award honors for Steelers 2022 season.

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