Football
Finally, training camp is here for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The players report Wednesday, and on Thursday they hit the field for the first practice of the summer, signaling the official return of Steelers football into our lives.
For now, there’s still some time to fill. Knowing that, it’s time to wrap up my Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series here at Steelers Depot.
It’s been a busy offseason for the Steelers. A bunch of new faces came into the fold, while a number of familiar ones exited in free agency and via trade. Now, the roster is set, and the attention shifts to training camp battles.
No more speculation or debates about silly things like someone’s fit, or what a player has left at this point in his career. We’ve made it.
Here is the projected starting lineup that I believe the Steelers will roll out in Week 1 on the road against the New York Jets.
*indicates players already ranked in the series
Offense
QB — Aaron Rodgers
RB — Jaylen Warren
WR — DK Metcalf
WR — Calvin Austin III
TE — Pat Freiermuth
TE — Jonnu Smith
LT — Broderick Jones
LG — Isaac Seumalo
C — Zach Frazier
RG — Mason McCormick
RT — Troy Fautanu
Defense
DE — Cameron Heyward
NT — Keeanu Benton
DE — Derrick Harmon
OLB — T.J. Watt
ILB — Patrick Queen
ILB — Payton Wilson
OLB — Alex Highsmith
CB — Joey Porter Jr.
CB — Darius Slay
DB — Jalen Ramsey
S — DeShon Elliott
Specialists
K — Chris Boswell
P — Cameron Johnston
With the projected starting lineup for this series out of the way, let’s look at a quick rundown of the Ranking The Starters series so far.
No. 24 — Broderick Jones, LT
No. 23 — Troy Fautanu, RT
No. 22 — Calvin Austin III, WR
No. 21 — Cameron Johnston, P
No. 20 — Derrick Harmon, DE
No. 19 — Mason McCormick, RG
No. 18 — Keeanu Benton, NT
No. 17 — Darius Slay, CB
No. 16 — Jaylen Warren, RB
No. 15 — Payton Wilson, ILB
No. 14 — Patrick Queen, ILB
No. 13 — Aaron Rodgers, QB
No. 12 — Pat Freiermuth, TE
No. 11 — Joey Porter Jr., CB
No. 10 — Jonnu Smith, TE
No. 9 — Isaac Seumalo, LG
No. 8 — Jalen Ramsey, DB
No. 7 — DK Metcalf, WR
No. 6 — DeShon Elliott, S
No. 5 — Zach Frazier, C
No. 4 — Alex Highsmith, OLB
Today, let’s wrap up the Ranking the Steelers’ Starters series, looking at No. 3-1.
NO. 3 — CHRIS BOSWELL, K
Over the last few seasons Chris Boswell has thrust himself into the debate over best kicker in football. Now, entering 2025 there is no debate. Boswell is the best of the best, period.
Last season, Boswell drilled a career-high 41 field goals on 44 attempts, becoming the first Steeler to lead the NFL in scoring. He was as automatic as they come and was a huge part of the Steelers’ scoring output throughout the season.
It wasn’t just short kicks, either. Boswell was the best in the business from 50+ yards, too, connecting on 13-of-15 field goals from that distance. With the style of play the Steelers are leaning on, featuring low-scoring games with a great defense and an offense that doesn’t turn the ball over, it’s huge to have a weapon like Boswell.
NO. 2 — T.J. WATT, OLB
Yes, T.J. Watt had a quiet year in 2024 based on expectations. But that doesn’t mean he had a bad year. Watt finished with 11.5 sacks and led the NFL with six forced fumbles, continuing to be a game-wrecking force.
Watt’s sacks and pressures declined from the 2023 season, but one thing changed with the way offenses schemed against him. Watt faced the highest amount of chips and double teams in the NFL last season of any pass rusher. The Steelers never helped Watt by moving him around, making him a stationary target for offenses.
Watt also battled injuries late in the season to his ankle and his thumb, which could have helped slow him down. In the final two games of the year, Watt posted back-to-back goose-egg performances. Not good enough.
Yet, that didn’t stop the Steelers from giving him a three-year, $123 million extension last week, keeping him in the Black and Gold for the foreseeable future. He’s entering his age-31 season, but Watt remains an elite player and should have another great season as he continues to add to his Hall of Fame resume.
NO. 1 — CAMERON HEYWARD, DE
I really wrestled with putting Cameron Heyward over Watt in these rankings. But looking back at Heyward’s 2024 season, it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t the Steelers’ best player.
Heyward recorded 8.0 sacks, batted down 11 passes at the line of scrimmage to lead all non-defensive backs, and was a force against the run all season. After battling injuries in 2023, Heyward was healthy all season and returned to his elite form, proving a lot of the doubters wrong.
Now, the challenge is doing it again in his age-36 season. While Father Time is undefeated, Heyward is doing a great job of holding him off. In recent years he’s changed his workouts habits some and has struck a balance while remaining a powerful voice and also adding some mobility and flexibility.
He’s already seemingly strengthened his Hall of Fame resume, putting him closer to being a lock. If he can put together another dominant year and earn another All-Pro accolade? You can start creating the bust now.
Read More Josh Carney