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A new NFL season is upon us, which means the Pittsburgh Steelers are bound to look different on paper. The difference this offseason was drastic, resulting in a shakeup at the leadership position and Mike McCarthy receiving the nod as just the third head coach hired since Chuck Noll. As for the roster itself, Pittsburgh made several notable additions when the league's new year officially opened up, many of which improved key positions on both sides of the ball.
Despite national media outlets expressing a much less optimistic outlook on the team, it's evident that the Steelers are significantly better overall than last year, with only the quarterback position as the ultimate question mark. While the depth chart boasts the looks of a well-rounded skill position and defensive group, there's always room to add more. General Manager Omar Khan has historically followed this criterion, acquiring talent late into the offseason and somewhere around training camp. Adding certain players as either depth or starter-worthy can push a franchise from good to great, maybe even solidifying an extra win or two.
The Steelers have a conundrum at the left tackle position, as Broderick Jones is still recovering from a neck injury with an unknown recovery timeline, potentially putting his availability to start the season in jeopardy. And since there are no guarantees he plays a ton in 2026, their first-round draft pick was another offensive tackle in Arizona State's Max Iheanachor, as he's expected to be the long-term solution and eventual starter, but, for now, he remains raw as a prospect and still in the developmental stage of his young career. Insert Taylor Decker, who had been a long-time starting tackle for the Detroit Lions, and is looking for a new home, as he'd provide an immediate plug-and-play.
Decker is known for his mastery in pass protection, posting a 89.3% Pro Football Focus rating in 2025, in which he allowed just two sacks over 525 blocking snaps. Decker's hand placement is excellent, positioning himself on a wide base against edge rushers. Pre-snap adjustments are remarkably sound, rarely committing mistakes, totaling just one penalty over 14 games. His run-blocking is a heavy-handed drive, excelling in creating downward push vertically across the line of scrimmage. Decker solves three issues: the first being insurance for Jones' health, the second being Iheanachor's time to sit and learn as he progresses as a rookie, and the last being Aaron Rodgers saying upright more often than not with the ball in his hands when dropping back.
This would be classified as a pure Mike McCarthy and Joe Whitt Jr. piece and connection (2021-2023), as Donovan Wilson played under both with the Dallas Cowboys (2019-2025). Just like Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott, he's a hard-hitting safety that plays inside the box as a run stopper and a pass rusher. Known quintessentially as a thumper, Wilson relies on his aggressiveness as a gap attacker and on imposing himself physically on running backs and pass catchers, cosplaying as a linebacker in the form of a box safety. He's also capable of blitzing the quarterback, registering 4.5 sacks in 2024 and five sacks in 2022.
Wilson naturally has a knack for generating turnovers and jump-cutting routes underneath, in which he logged six interceptions and eight forced fumbles over seven seasons in Dallas. He'd slide right in as the backup strong safety to starter DeShon Elliott, who currently does not have an experienced backup behind him in the case of injury or poor performance (Sebastian Castro looms large). Each plays a similar style of football, crashing the line of scrimmage, stopping the run, and blitzing the A-gap as pure enforcers. The Steelers would be able to operate a heavy-box rotation that deploys specialized three-safety sub-packages against run-heavy offensive units, preventing fatigue in their secondary.
Stop me if you've heard this before: another player with preexisting connections to the organization. That's Elandon Roberts for you, who already knows the new Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, very well from his time in Las Vegas playing for the Raiders. Graham was their defensive play-caller from 2022 to 2025. Not to mention, he was a Steeler from 2023-2024 under the then-head coach Mike Tomlin.
His playing style reflects an older school form of linebacking, where collision play is downhill and physical. Roberts does not hesitate to attack gaps, which is also why he diagnoses plays proficiently, meeting tight ends and guards pulling at the line of scrimmage when blowing up blocking schemes. His run-stopping is elite, earning a 76.7 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025, and he amassed 90 tackles and six tackles for loss over 16 games. Roberts would allow Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen to use their speed sideline to sideline while chasing down ball carriers. On top of that, he would be the hammer on early downs, taking on interiorized blocks and keeping the linebacking room clean from behind, making it easier to tackle. Last season, Pittsburgh lacked defenders who could immediately take on running backs inside the gaps, and Roberts would help alleviate some of its woes on the ground.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 3 Free Agents Steelers Should Pursue To Maximize Their 2026 Potential
Continue reading...
Despite national media outlets expressing a much less optimistic outlook on the team, it's evident that the Steelers are significantly better overall than last year, with only the quarterback position as the ultimate question mark. While the depth chart boasts the looks of a well-rounded skill position and defensive group, there's always room to add more. General Manager Omar Khan has historically followed this criterion, acquiring talent late into the offseason and somewhere around training camp. Adding certain players as either depth or starter-worthy can push a franchise from good to great, maybe even solidifying an extra win or two.
1. Taylor Decker - Offensive Tackle
The Steelers have a conundrum at the left tackle position, as Broderick Jones is still recovering from a neck injury with an unknown recovery timeline, potentially putting his availability to start the season in jeopardy. And since there are no guarantees he plays a ton in 2026, their first-round draft pick was another offensive tackle in Arizona State's Max Iheanachor, as he's expected to be the long-term solution and eventual starter, but, for now, he remains raw as a prospect and still in the developmental stage of his young career. Insert Taylor Decker, who had been a long-time starting tackle for the Detroit Lions, and is looking for a new home, as he'd provide an immediate plug-and-play.
Decker is known for his mastery in pass protection, posting a 89.3% Pro Football Focus rating in 2025, in which he allowed just two sacks over 525 blocking snaps. Decker's hand placement is excellent, positioning himself on a wide base against edge rushers. Pre-snap adjustments are remarkably sound, rarely committing mistakes, totaling just one penalty over 14 games. His run-blocking is a heavy-handed drive, excelling in creating downward push vertically across the line of scrimmage. Decker solves three issues: the first being insurance for Jones' health, the second being Iheanachor's time to sit and learn as he progresses as a rookie, and the last being Aaron Rodgers saying upright more often than not with the ball in his hands when dropping back.
2. Donovan Wilson - Strong Safety
This would be classified as a pure Mike McCarthy and Joe Whitt Jr. piece and connection (2021-2023), as Donovan Wilson played under both with the Dallas Cowboys (2019-2025). Just like Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott, he's a hard-hitting safety that plays inside the box as a run stopper and a pass rusher. Known quintessentially as a thumper, Wilson relies on his aggressiveness as a gap attacker and on imposing himself physically on running backs and pass catchers, cosplaying as a linebacker in the form of a box safety. He's also capable of blitzing the quarterback, registering 4.5 sacks in 2024 and five sacks in 2022.
Wilson naturally has a knack for generating turnovers and jump-cutting routes underneath, in which he logged six interceptions and eight forced fumbles over seven seasons in Dallas. He'd slide right in as the backup strong safety to starter DeShon Elliott, who currently does not have an experienced backup behind him in the case of injury or poor performance (Sebastian Castro looms large). Each plays a similar style of football, crashing the line of scrimmage, stopping the run, and blitzing the A-gap as pure enforcers. The Steelers would be able to operate a heavy-box rotation that deploys specialized three-safety sub-packages against run-heavy offensive units, preventing fatigue in their secondary.
3. Elandon Roberts - Inside Linebacker
Stop me if you've heard this before: another player with preexisting connections to the organization. That's Elandon Roberts for you, who already knows the new Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, very well from his time in Las Vegas playing for the Raiders. Graham was their defensive play-caller from 2022 to 2025. Not to mention, he was a Steeler from 2023-2024 under the then-head coach Mike Tomlin.
His playing style reflects an older school form of linebacking, where collision play is downhill and physical. Roberts does not hesitate to attack gaps, which is also why he diagnoses plays proficiently, meeting tight ends and guards pulling at the line of scrimmage when blowing up blocking schemes. His run-stopping is elite, earning a 76.7 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025, and he amassed 90 tackles and six tackles for loss over 16 games. Roberts would allow Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen to use their speed sideline to sideline while chasing down ball carriers. On top of that, he would be the hammer on early downs, taking on interiorized blocks and keeping the linebacking room clean from behind, making it easier to tackle. Last season, Pittsburgh lacked defenders who could immediately take on running backs inside the gaps, and Roberts would help alleviate some of its woes on the ground.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 3 Free Agents Steelers Should Pursue To Maximize Their 2026 Potential
Continue reading...
