Should the Steelers load up on offense or defense?

Considering the Steelers have more holes on defense, I think the draft should be heavy on defense, they should be able to fill some holes on both sides of the ball through free agency.

 

I see them drafting players to address both sides of the ball and special teams regardless how free agency falls.

 

He doesn't know what he's talking about. This board told me it's still 2001 and kenny Pickett can win the sb by the steelers utilizing the run game and defense in the afc.

 

My response in February is that we go defense heavy. We don't need an o-lineman to start- all five starters are back from last year, and they began to jell after the bye. But we do need one (or two) that can step in and start if necessary, if not this year then next. We don't need a qb, rb, or te early if at all. We don't actually need a wr early, but that's never stopped us before.

Defense will need 1-2 cbs, one that can start. A d-lineman. At least one ILB. An edge. I know everyone thinks we need to replace Edmunds, but if we re-sign him Strong Safety is off the table. My basic belief is that CB is strong in the first round, then falls off (not that there isn't 2-3 round value, even starting this year quality). D-line strength is in the second round, with Ika, Smith, and Benton falling in that area. Edge is going to be interesting, with Will McDonald IV being my most interesting player. His pass rushing goes without saying, but everything I've read says he can't defend the run to save his life. He may fall, and be a good third edge in round three.

All this will change after A) the combine and B) free agency.

 

"Should the Steelers load up on offense or defense?"


Yes

 

I'm mostly build up the defense and has that "defense wins championships" mentality. Just seeing how this playoff season played out; the top defenses still gave up a ton of points, especially in these 2nd halves of games. I think that there is still value in having a quality defense, especially in our division. But I think protecting Kenny and giving Kenny weapons is more important than filling in holes on defense, especially early in the draft, based upon the direction this league as a whole is going. I'll agree that the line did gel and is in better shape today than it was a year ago, but across the board they're all average to above average players. Every player across the line can be upgraded. Doesn't mean we need an entirely new OLine, that's unreasonable and unrealistic. Chuks is good enough to be a starting T, but is he good enough to be paid north of 10m a year? I'm thinking not. When examining the SB, we just saw a Chiefs OL give up zero sacks to the most prolific pass rush the league had to offer this past season. If you protect your QB, good things are going to happen; if your QB has weapons, the given time, good things are going to happen. Chiefs gave up 25PPG this past playoff season and that was good enough to be SB champs. Defense is important, but not as important as it was 5-10+ years ago.

 

NFL is like arena football you better be able to score 30 plus points consistently to win games. Times have changed unfortunately our owner and HC still want it to be 1975.

The days of pounding the rock on the ground and playing shut down D are over. We need young bright offensive minds not this conservative play not to lose BS Tomlin preaches. How many games this season did we struggle to score 20 points? Expect more of the same next year.

To be fair I also like traditional hard nose football and feel this crap Goodell has created is watered down but it’s clear the direction the league is in so get with the times.

 

I kinda don't like the direction it's going, but it is what it is... When you look at the SB in particular, the Chiefs OL is what one them this game; they gave up zero sacks and only one TFL against arguably the best defense in the league. Mahomes had like 182 yards passing and Kelse was rather invisible in the 2nd half, and the Chiefs still moved the ball up and down the field... mostly because of a 6th rd RB putting in work. And with all of that said, this offense still scored 31 points. Proof is in the pudding to me, and what it's always been: a strong offensive line.

 

Unfortunately Mahomes is giving off Brady 2.0 vibes. Feels like unless this guy gets hurt making a SB from the AFC is going to be ridiculously hard the next 10 years.

I agree on OL though we need to beef up that line to give Kenny as much time as possible.

 

But it's not like Mahomes was extraordinary is any fashion. He was clutch and had moxy of course. But other than his completion %%%, it was a game typical to that of Kenny Pickett with the obvious exception of Mahomes getting the ball into the end zone and Pickett stumbling inside the 30.

 

The steelers need way more offense



The NFL have changed so much in the last decade or so but the steelers are so low to realize that unfortunately.Tomlin love the low scoring game like crazy and he keep Matt Canada for one more year

We need more talent on offense to be elite at this side of the ball but Canada struggle so much to just involve Pickens and Much at the same time.This is sad

 

see what free agency brings first. for defense i would look there first. that has worked out pretty well for us. minkah, maulet, wallace, jack, olunjobi, adams, kazee. i know many are down on witherspoon, but when he played in 2021 he had a dud or two games but the rest were pretty solid and i haven't heard much from the steelers of them moving on from him yet, just the fan base. we will have to see. sutton should be the first priority. i still would like a move like andrew billings the raiders free agent. i believe a mix will be needed in the draft. we have to increase scoring on offense. the defense is much closer if we sign sutton back and extend wallace. maulet has played pretty well for us. i like riley as a young player and want to see more of him. last preseason the kid didn't look lost after getting here very late. kazee would be another bring back.

 

Who cares about defense if the top defenses are still giving up 30+ in the playoffs... The league has evolved, unfortunately. You need offense to win.

 

Need a stud Left Tackle and a stud Defensive Tackle. This would be with the first 3 picks. Corner or ILBer although I feel they will hold off drafting an ILBer early. The first 3 picks can't be wait and see's, they have to contribute right away hopefully starting.

They need to get a swing OLBer that actually is worth putting on the field. The 3rd round pick would be a good place to start.

 

getting roche back as an OLB will help. he was a draft pick last year that we lost and now have back with a year of seasoning. he's actually like an extra draft pick already with the rookie year out of his way. i'd still like to see andrew billings be brought in as a free agent. shouldn't break the bank either.

 

Sort of like KC did a few years ago, where they had some weapons on offense.
They needed to upgrade the O line. They went out a got guys to protect and open lanes.

The Steelers have some nice weapons.
The line did play better as the season wore on, but they really need an OT and depth.

Over on the Defensive side.
A shut down corner would be high on my list. Sutton does need to be retained.
They could get a good CB in this draft no problem.

The bigger need to me is to upgrade speed at LB.
I would point to Inside LB's - Myles Jack and Robert Spillane.

Spillane is a team guy and a good rotational LB. You don't want to let him go unless you have a roster full of better.
Myles played admirably. He has the size and is 27.
If you asked me, I'd say they need to find a 'guy' that puts a face and attitude on this defense, like Shazier was bringing.
TJ is a beast and can dominate a game. Highsmith is looking really good... I didn't expect as much to be honest.
But we need a guy in the middle.

I'd look at depth on the DL too.
You always want to draft along the line of scrimmage.

 

I was shocked Eagles defense didn't get one sack on Mahomes. If we ever get into a playoff game with them it will be a shoot out.

Mahomes is like the new Brady, he hardly gets touched.


As far as offense goes Steelers need to fix their line, and we need a tier one CB.

 

If you look at the Bengals and Chiefs, they drafted to make the QB better. For the Bengals they drafted Chase to make Higgins a #2WR, and Boyd a #3, giving Burrow a slew of offensive weapons. The Chiefs rebuilt their line to protect Mahomes, after TB gave the Chiefs a beat down two years ago in the SB. This is why I am tempted to take Addison if he is there at #17. Give Pickett another weapon, draft the best o-lineman or defensive player at #32, and then the opposite at #49. The main thing is to get two offensive starters, so the personnel makes Canada a better coach.

 

Our team needs and depth issues would suggest defense. But when you watch the Super Bowl and how they have basically legislated the defense out of the game the only logically thing going forward seems to be offense, offense, offense. I would just draft all QB’s and WR’s because that seems to be the only players that matter much in todays NFL. I so miss the NFL of 10 years ago.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...pc=U531&cvid=f30a313f190f47db94f9794ded11af8e

they are out there in free agency. many more besides these guys as well.

https://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/17304/

https://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/25117/

https://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/21818/

https://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/29509/

https://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/16850/

https://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/29124/

 

Prolific pass rush only counts, or should counts against top Qbs. Give Me one great Qb they faced....
This is what I had been saying about their so called awesome D all year, but people laughed. Then when they actually faced a real Qb....no sacks, no basically anything. Lot of teams Defense can look good against Dak P, Daniel J, and so on.

 

I guess You are forgetting How the Bengals spent the most in FA two years ago on Defense....the year they went to the SB.

 

Priorities are LT, DT, CB and ILB. Take the best player available at those positions in whatever order on days one and two.

Free agency will have a bearing. I dont expect any big moves. If they bring Sutton, Edmonds, Jack, Ogunjobi etc back that’ll use up most of their available cap room.

If they make a splash move it’ll probably be DT as they start thinking about life after Cam Heyward. Daron Payne would be a good fit if Washington don’t bring him back. Backload the deal to ensure the big money doesn’t kick in until Cam is gone

 

Watching actual play designs to get players open in the superbowl makes me sad we have to watch another year of Canada offense.