The Pittsburgh Steelers might have the most star talent in the entire league. The Killer B’s of Ben, Brown, and Bell can take the Steelers a long way offensively. Pittsburgh’s offensive line isn’t too shabby either. The biggest question may be whether the new offensive coordinator, Randy Fichtner, gets in a rhythm with Ben Roethlisberger. Todd Haley is now in Cleveland and realistically did a pretty nice job. Will the Steelers cakewalk their way to another AFC North title or will things be more challenging in 2018?
3 Position Battles To Watch:
1. Free Safety: Terrell Edmunds, Morgan Burnett
The Steelers shocked the world when they took Terrell Edmunds in the first round of the draft. I think many people thought that Edmunds was probably a third-round pick but he does have the high-end athletic traits that could warrant him worthy of the selection. savvy vet, Morgan Burnett, came over this offseason and has 9 interceptions in his 8-year career.
2. Inside Linebacker: Vince Williams, Jon Bostic, Tyler Matakevich
Ryan Shazier is not going to play this season and will probably never play again. When your middle linebacker is slow, the rest of your defense is slow. Shazier was so good for this team for that exact reason. In the Steelers 3-4 defense, they need two of the guys above to start. Good luck!
3. Pass Rusher: Bud Dupree, Anthony Chickillo, Matthew Thomas
TJ Watt might turn into a star after showing that he was a big-time energy guy off the edge as a rookie. The other pass rusher spot is very much up for grabs and has been since James Harrison. We are still waiting for Bud Dupree to get good. Matthew Thomas, I threw in here because I think he could be an undrafted sleeper. Thomas was a five-star recruit at Florida State that showed serious flashes but never really put it together.
Ready To Breakout: JuJu Smith-Schuster
I whiffed big time on this time. I didn’t think Smith-Schuster was nearly a good enough route runner or athlete to be a good receiver. It turns out that he’s more than just good. As a rookie, Smith-Schuster turned in a stat line of 58 catches for 917 yards and 7 touchdowns. With Martavis Bryant out of town, Smith-Schuster’s role figures to be even larger this season. It’s pretty safe to say that he will have a better career than the other five receivers drafted ahead of him and have all showed major red flags.
Rookie To Watch: Jaylen Samuels
This wasn’t an easy one to pick but I think Jaylen Samuels has a chance to be the most fascinating rookie to watch. Samuels played running back, fullback, tight end, and wide receiver in college. With an offense as dynamic as this one, it’s will be fun to watch Pittsburgh deploy their own swiss army knife. Le’Veon Bell fantasy owners could wind up getting pretty angry if Samuels gets his fair share of one-yard touchdowns.
Fantasy Sleeper: James Washington
Has any organization done a better job at developing wide receiver talent? Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and JuJu Smith-Schuster have all flourished with the black and yellow. Now it could be James Washington’s turn to shine. He’s more of a one-trick pony deep threat and really doesn’t even look like a receiver. I’m not fond of Washington but I’m not going to count him out because Pittsburgh drafted him.
