The Pittsburgh Steelers have learned in 2022 that football games are won in the trenches. Neither the defensive line nor the offensive line has been bad for Pittsburgh. In fact, for stretches, they have been above average. The offensive line has not been the train wreck it was last season, but they have not dominated any games in 2022. Without T.J. Watt the defensive line played okay, but the defense was not elite. The 2023 off-season should be focused on big men who can dominate for the black and gold.
The Steelers are likely to have as many as three of the top 40 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and could have more depending on how high they finally slot into the draft. If it is high enough for a quarterback-needy team to aggressively pursue one of the top signal callers in this year’s deep quarterback draft, they could benefit by trading down. Will Anderson from the Georgia Bulldogs is an intriguing prospect but with the emergence of Alex Highsmith , there are more pressing holes for the black and gold.
The Steelers tandem of Watt and Highsmith is young enough to be an elite force for the next half-decade if they can remain healthy. Cam Heyward has played better recently but he is closer to the end than the beginning. Pittsburgh should but cannot guarantee it will bring back Larry Ogunjobi. DeMarvin Leal has shown promise and when he returns from injury and if he continues to perform, the Steelers may want to consider an outside-of-the-box solution for defensive line depth.
The Steelers target young free agents who are entering their second contract as a rule. They do not often sign veteran free agents older than thirty and the philosophy has served them well during the free agency era. This off-season they should make an exception and sign all of the Watt brothers. Derek Watt is a free agent and has performed well on special teams, but has been under utilized as the team’s fullback. J.J. Watt is a free agent, and this will likely be his last chance to play with his brothers. He will be 34 years old next season and his Arizona contract is up.
Watt is not a premiere pash rusher anymore. He has only played a full season twice in five seasons and he has not reached double-digit sacks since 2018. The Arizona Cardinals overpaid him and unless he is willing to take a significant pay cut, he will not be returning to the team. On the open market, he will not command a huge contract and a combination of Heyward and Watt may not only be ideal for both of them but extend both players’ careers.
Watt and Heyward have never played in an AFC Championship game and both in bursts are still very good players. Heyward’s motor outpaces his talent at this point and when the Steelers’ defense is on the field for long stretches, he tires. Watt is not an every-down dominant player anymore and would be much more effective playing half the snaps at his top speed. Both players have slowed but are very capable of dominating for a series at a time.
They are proud men, and it won’t be easy to sell them on the fact they can be more effective by being paid less. The Steelers have the perfect person to convince both to consider it, the defensive player of the year himself, Watt. Heyward has been a Steelers captain and has achieved everything personally he can, if he was willing to restructure his deal and role, Pittsburgh could take a significant step towards playoff success while playing in his twilight with an alien next to him.
The elder Watt might be even easier to convince. If his other brother is retained on a team-friendly deal to serve as the lone fullback in what is sure to be a new offense, it could be just the enticement to secure his services. He is not likely to get big money from any team and a family meeting might convince him to play in Pittsburgh. If the family meeting fails, a WWE-style triple threat match with the losers have to play in Pittsburgh stipulation could do the trick. Watt is a temporary solution, but if the Steelers could pick two top 40 offensive linemen in the upcoming draft and see if Kenny Pickett can thrive with a clean pocket, it could have the Steelers playing late in January next season.
More must-reads: