The Pittsburgh Steelers collapsed during the stretch run of the 2024 NFL season and stumbled to an uninspiring conclusion. It’s back to the drawing board for Omar Kahn and the organization’s front office, and the process of building a Super Bowl-worthy roster will begin on March 10 when the 2025 free agency window opens.
The Steelers have three major needs that must be addressed in free agency, and they all come on the offensive side of the ball. The first issue the front office has to address is adding a second playmaker to pair with George Pickens.
Pickens is a special talent, but he sometimes struggles with being the only option on the offense. In addition to that, he sometimes gets frustrated due to the attention he receives from the defense, with nobody else to help out. This leads to some of his attitude issues, and he could also stand to benefit from having an older mentor who has been around for a while and has experienced the ups and downs. Despite some ongoing rumors, trading Pickens would be the absolute wrong move. Rather, the team should invest in their young superstar by providing the stable leadership he needs to grow as a player and as a person.
The most pressing issue that the Steelers have to resolve is their offensive line. The team seems to have uncovered a gem in Zack Frazier, and they’ve invested heavily in the offensive tackle position over the past two seasons. However, they still have work to do to solidify the interior of their line at the guard spot. There has been some talk that the teams’ two young offensive tackles might be better off at the guard spot. If that move were to be made, though, the team would then have holes at the tackle position. The bottom line is at least one, and ideally two, capable offensive linemen must be added to the roster this spring.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR
The Steelers must upgrade their receiving corps and add another playmaker. Pickens is an elite talent, but there’s only so much that one can do. To make matters worse, Pickens has a mercurial attitude and hasn’t quite learned the mental side of the position.
Having a veteran presence around who also has experience handling the ups and downs and the pressure that comes with being the best playmaker could prove invaluable for Pickens as a mentor and a resource, even if Hopkins doesn’t do anything on the field.
Hopkins just might have a little bit left in the tank where he can contribute on the field, too. The Kansas City Chiefs acquired Hopkins for a reasonable price at the deadline, and he was helpful to the team down the stretch, if not being a real game-changer. Hopkins’ days of dominating defenses, wrecking defensive gameplans, and electrifying crowds by himself are probably over. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything he can offer to his team, however.
Hopkins is still a physical specimen, and while he might have lost a step or three physically, his height and strength will still play well, and he’s also picked up some tricks that he can use to gain an edge against most defenders.
One thing the Steelers struggle with is converting drives in the red zone into touchdowns. They have had to settle for field goals too often, and that shouldn’t be a problem with Hopkins in the fold.
Even with his diminished athleticism, Hopkins is still adapt at using his body to block defenders in the red zone and come down with 50-50 passes for a touchdown. That will be incredibly useful for a Steelers team that needs to get better at punching the ball into the end zone for seven points rather than settling for three.
JK Dobbins, RB
The Steelers have likely seen the last of Najee Harris in the black and gold. They’ll need another back who can take pressure off of Jaylen Warren and provide equal or greater value to what Harris gave them without breaking the bank.
Enter JK Dobbins.
The former Ohio State Buckeyes star running back has plenty of talent, but he has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons. However, that checkered injury history also means that Dobbins is almost certain to be available for less than $5 million per year on a short-term contract, and the team could even possibly get him into the building at the $3 million price range depending on how his market develops.
Dobbins is a talented runner who could prove himself to be an excellent bargain. This should be a low-cost acquisition with plenty of upside.
Alaric Jackson, Offensive Tackle
Jackson is a massive human being, standing at 6-foot-7 and tipping the scales at nearly 350 pounds. He’s a decent lineman with plenty of upside, but he hasn’t always tapped into his physical ability or mastered the technique of the position. Jackson is reliable in pass blocking, though, especially when compared to the Steelers’ current options.
Jackson’s acquisition would allow either Broderick Jones or Troy Fautanu to slide over to the guard spot. This could be a better fit, especially for Fautanu, and could turn him into a true building block for the next-generation offensive line in the Steel City. Adding Jackson would also increase the team’s overall talent level along the offensive line, and he would serve as an insurance policy in case one of the team’s current projected starters struggles or suffers an injury.
Jackson won’t be cheap to sign, but he won’t break the bank either. This is an excellent under-the-radar value signing that Kahn and the front office must pursue next month when free agency opens.
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