The Pittsburgh Steelers may be one of the trickiest teams to gauge heading into the 2023 NFL season.
They absolutely have some strong talent, especially on defense with All-Pros in edge rusher T.J. Watt and safety Minkah Fitzpartick. They also closed last season on an impressive 7-2 run after the bye week, indicating that they may be ready to take a leap in 2023. The question is, do they have enough to compete in the loaded AFC?
Most would agree that the Steelers are at least a good team, but just good doesn't cut it in this conference. They clearly aren't on the level of some of the AFC titans such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills. The next tier of the conference is very crowded, and the Steelers will have to beat out at least a few of those teams to make the playoffs. Due to there being so much competition, it's difficult to call Pittsburgh a surefire playoff contender right now.
To get to that point, the Steelers will need some strong performances from players all over the roster. That obviously includes the stars, but also the lesser-known players. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, there are a few candidates for this role.
With that said, here are two hidden gems on the Steelers' 2023 roster.
2. Damontae Kazee
Admittedly, we're somewhat stretching the definition of a hidden gem here. Kazee has six NFL seasons under his belt: four with the Atlanta Falcons, one with the Dallas Cowboys and most recently with the Steelers. The safety has put up some impressive stats, with 271 tackles, 19 passes defended and 14 interceptions throughout his career.
However, we'd argue that Kazee still hasn't received the recognition he deserves. He has yet to earn a single Pro Bowl selection, even when he had a league-leading seven interceptions with Atlanta in 2018. Kazee also started just four games last season, as Terrell Edmunds was ahead of them on the depth chart.
With Edmunds leaving in free agency, Kazee should see a much larger role this season. He already had 20 tackles, two passes defended and two interceptions in nine games (four starts) last season, and those numbers should take a jump in 2023. The Steelers clearly have faith in Kazee, as they signed him to a two-year extension in March. He should be able to step into the larger role well, and that contract may look like a steal.
1. Jaylen Warren
Najee Harris has been a very solid running back for the Steelers since they picked him in the first round of the 2021 draft. However, there was a major problem in Harris' rookie season as he was essentially a one-man show. Harris finished his rookie season with 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns, accounting for 76% of the Steelers' rushing yards and 70% of their rushing touchdowns. As this was incredibly unsustainable, and the Steelers needed to find a complementary back.
While Harris was still the workhorse back in 2022, he didn't have to carry as massive of a load as the year before. The addition of Warren, an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State, was a big reason why. For being an undrafted player, Warren had a solid rookie season in 2022.
Warren played 16 games for Pittsburgh, finishing the season with 379 yards and one touchdown on 4.9 yards per attempt. He also caught 28 passes for 214 yards, an average of 7.6 yards per reception. These obviously aren't jaw-dropping numbers, but he excelled in his role as a complementary back.
Now heading into Year 2, Warren should see a larger role in 2023. Even if that means just a few more touches (he averaged 6.6 per game in 2022), he could become one of the better reserve backs in the league. If that happens, he will cement himself as a true diamond in the rough for Pittsburgh.
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