The 2022 season was a transitional one for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they still almost ended up finding their way into the playoffs. With Kenny Pickett leading the way, the Steelers won six of their last seven games, but ended up just missing out on the final AFC Wild Card spot. Moving forward, it's clear there's a lot to build off of from this season.
However, there's also a lot of work to do this offseason, with free agency being a good avenue for the Steelers to make some upgrades. There are quite a few big name targets they will be chasing in free agency, but let's take a look at five sneaky targets who could fly under the radar and be fantastic additions for the Steelers this offseason.
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5. Joshua Dobbs
The Mitchell Trubisky experiment blew up in the Steelers face pretty early on, and as a result, they will likely be looking for a new backup for Pickett this offseason. That could lead them back to Joshua Dobbs, who looked solid in his limited action for the Tennessee Titans after starting his career with the Steelers.
Dobbs made two spot starts for the Titans in 2022 and held his own while under center (40/68, 411 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT) for them. Dobbs isn't going to challenge Pickett for his job, but he can fill in when he's called upon, and that's precisely what is needed of him. Dobbs likely wouldn't cost much, and a return to Pittsburgh could be his best option in free agency.
4. Jonathan Jones
Depending on whether or not the team decides to re-sign Cameron Sutton, the Steelers may need help at cornerback. One of the more underrated options on the market right now appears to be Jonathan Jones, who made a seamless transition from playing as a slot corner to playing on the outside for the New England Patriots in 2022.
Jones put together the best season of his career in 2022 with the Pats (69 tackles, 4 INT, 3 FF, 11 PD, 1 TD) and has set himself up to earn a nice pay raise this offseason. Jones has been a big piece of New England's secondary throughout his career, but he may be out of their price range after his strong season, and if he is, the Steelers should make a push to sign him.
3. Kelvin Beachum
Another reunion could be in store for the Steelers if they opt to pursue Kelvin Beachum in free agency. Beachum started his career off with the Steelers, but has gone on to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals. Beachum's most recent three-season stint with Arizona has been the best of his career, and he was the only consistent offensive lineman on their team last season.
The Steelers need help at their tackle position, and Beachum could come in and immediately fill that need. He's spent time at both left and right tackle throughout his career, and in a market with Orlando Brown Jr. and Mike McGlinchy, Beachum will be a cheaper option than either of those guys. But he's still playing great football, and could be a sneaky good signing for the Steelers.
2. Yannick Ngakoue
The Steelers already have a trio of solid pass rushers in T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Cameron Heyward at their disposal, but with Heyward playing more as a defensive tackle nowadays, they don't really have a strong edge player on their team. That would make signing Yannick Ngakoue a really smart addition to bolster an already strong front seven.
Despite the fact that he's racked up at least eight sacks in each season of his career so far, Ngakoue is a relatively underrated pass rusher in the NFL right now. He just added 9.5 more sacks to his tally in his first season with the Indianapolis Colts, and he could be a supremely dangerous addition for the Steelers in their already formidable pass rush. It's not a dire need, but if the Steelers have the ability to add Ngakoue, it would likely work out in a big way for them.
1. Poona Ford
Pittsburgh could need another big defensive tackle to shore up their run defense with Larry Ogunjobi hitting the open market, and while there are several dominant interior linemen hitting the open market this offseason, Poona Ford feels like one of the more underrated players set to become a free agent this offseason.
Ford has become the anchor of the Seattle Seahawks defensive line early on in his career (35 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 PD, 6 TFL, 7 QB Hits) and looks set to earn a nice little raise as a result. Ford can clog running lanes on the ground and pressure the quarterback despite commanding a double team on pretty much every team. Ford is still young too, and this would be the best sneaky good move the Steelers could make this offseason.
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