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The Pittsburgh Steelers' roster cuts and some trades have gotten their team to the 53-man limit for the 2022 NFL season. There are still moves to be made over the next few days, such as scouring the waiver wire for players other teams have released and filling out their practice squad, but for the most part, the 53 guys on the Steelers' current roster are going to be the guys they roll with for the majority of the season.
Pittsburgh has a deep roster, and the hope is that they will be able to make their way back to the playoffs, even though Ben Roethlisberger is no longer around. The change at quarterback is a bit concerning, but the Steelers have a good enough roster that they should remain competitive even if they don't get consistent production from under center.
Pittsburgh's current roster looks strong, but there are still some areas on the depth chart that could use bolstering. Let's take a look at three spots on the Steelers' roster that the team still needs to improve upon even after their 53-man roster cuts ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
Positions Steelers still must improve after 53-man roster cuts
3. Running back
The Steelers are set moving forward with Najee Harris as their workhorse running back. Harris is a fantastic threat in both the ground game and passing attack that there's never really a reason to take him off the field. In that regard, Pittsburgh is set at this position.
The problem is that Harris led the league in touches last season with 381, which is obviously a very high number. The Steelers probably don't want to put so much of the workload on Harris moving forward, which is why they need to find a solid secondary option to backup Harris. That player doesn't exist on their roster currently.
Benny Snell Jr. remains Harris' top backup, but he isn't exactly an encouraging player considering he had 36 carries for just 98 yards last season. Jaylen Warren beat out Anthony McFarland Jr. for the final roster spot, and while he flashed throughout preseason, he still has a long way to go in his development. Finding a true secondary running back for Harris would help improve this position greatly moving forward.
2. Cornerback
Pittsburgh's cornerback depth chart has felt a bit weak all throughout training camp, and they may eventually need some upgrades throughout the season. Cameron Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Levi Wallace lead the way, but that isn't the best starting cornerback trio, and the depth behind them is pretty weak as well.
Wallace is probably the best pure cover corner the Steelers have, and he should be leading the position group. Sutton has potential, but he got picked on a lot last season, and opposing passers had a 104.9 passer rating on throws in his direction. Witherspoon has played sparingly throughout his career, and while his coverage numbers have been solid, it remains to be seen whether he can hold up for a full season.
Upgrading at this position could become crucial, especially as the season goes on. This is probably one of the weaker spots on a strong Steelers defense here, so if they can find a solid rotating cast at cornerback, it would definitely help improve their chances of winning.
1. Quarterback
There's a lot of hope surrounding the quarterback position for the Steelers, but heading into the 2022 season, it's the biggest question mark on their roster. Will the depth chart of Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph be enough for Pittsburgh to consistently win games?
There has to be some immediate concern over the state of Pittsburgh's quarterback situation. Mitch Trubisky is heading into the season as the starter, but he has a very limited track record of success in the NFL. He still has upside, but he hasn't done anything early on in his NFL career to make many folks think he can lead a team to the postseason consistently.
Maybe this situation would be improved if Pickett were made the starter. If he succeeds, Pittsburgh's future would look quite bright, and he's certainly looked the part throughout preseason. But throwing a rookie quarterback into the fire right away is risky, and going with Trubisky to at least start the season is probably the right play for the Steelers.
Could they find an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky, or even Mason Rudolph, to beef up their quarterback depth chart? Probably, but it isn't extremely likely to happen. Trubisky will be allowed to start the season, and his leash will be short with Pickett waiting in the wings. But if things go wrong for the Steelers, this position could quickly become an issue in 2022 and moving forward, and it wouldn't be the worst idea for the front office to explore potential upgrades here.
