A season after finishing 10-7 to barely miss out on the playoffs, are the Pittsburgh Steelers ready to leap into the upper echelon of the AFC?
That’s one analyst’s prediction for the Steelers.
NFL Total Access posted analyst Brian Baldinger’s top five teams in the AFC, and the rankings surprisingly list Pittsburgh among the conference’s best.
Did @BaldyNFL get his power ranking right? pic.twitter.com/eykVy7RDzQ
— NFL Total Access (@NFLTotalAccess) April 8, 2024
Pittsburgh’s lofty rank is due to their offseason acquisition of Russell Wilson, a veteran quarterback who spent the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos.
The Steelers signed Wilson to a one-year deal before shipping last year’s starting quarterback Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia for a draft pick.
In addition to Pickett, Pittsburgh also cut quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
To add depth behind Russell, the Steelers acquired the Chicago Bears’ former starting quarterback Justin Fields in exchange for a conditional 2025 draft pick.
Outside of the quarterback position, most of the Steelers’ offseason moves have been to address defensive depth and both the offensive and defensive line.
Defensively, Pittsburgh remains one of the strongest units in the conference as the team allowed just 19.1 points per contest in 2023 and has retained their stars from last season.
With seven picks in the 2024 NFL Draft – including four in the top 100 – Pittsburgh can continue to address issues on both sides of the ball.
The Steelers finished above .500 for the 17th consecutive season under head coach Mike Tomblin, giving Baldinger’s prediction credence as the team continues to find ways to win games under Tomlin.
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