On the most recent episode of the Pittsburgh Standard Time podcast, Greg Benovent and I looked at each position group on the offense and defense and gave our thoughts on if the Steelers had gotten better, worse, or stayed the same. Even though the Steelers are still a month away from putting on full pads to take the practice field, something that will help significantly in evaluating where they stand, opinions can still be made even though there is much more room for debate.

Without further Ado, here are the results of how Greg and I broke down each group.

Quarterback

Greg: Better
Dave: Better

Even though Russell Wilson is not a quarterback who is on an upward trajectory for the rest of his career, his résumé has him at a spot where if he gives adequate play compared to his previous body of work it will be an improvement over what the Steelers saw last season.

Running Back

Greg: Better (marginally)
Dave: Better

Although Greg said that the running backs should be marginally better just as there’s a hopeful natural progression of players on their rookie deals improving, he agreed with my point of how the running backs should thrive more in a system where the defense isn’t completely tipped off that the Steelers are running the ball and where they are running it.

Tight End

Greg: Better
Dave: Better

Once again, looking at young players it is expected that they improve from season to season. Additionally, Greg added how a new system, particularly the way Arthur Smith uses tight ends, should give these players a better opportunity for success.

Wide Receiver

Greg: Worse
Dave: Worse

With the trade of Dionte Johnson, the Steelers have not adequately addressed the wide receiver position to feel better about it to start the 2024 season. While Roman Wilson could very well come on to be a great NFL player, it’s hard to imagine it from the very first week of his rookie season. Although there are plenty of other receivers who could step up and fill the void at the position, things are not clear at this time that would give any indication that the Steelers have improved.

Offensive Line

Greg: Better
Dave: Same

Even though we had different answers, we agreed on the breakdown at this position. When it comes in Steelers offensive line, the expectation is for them to be about the same when the season starts but improve to be a better unit as young players get more experience and acclimated to their position.

Defensive Line

Greg: Same
Dave: Same

Even though a player like Keeanu Benton is on the rise, there are other players at the position who are on the backside of their careers. And while many fans are ready to write off Cam Heyward as hitting that point, neither of us are ready to write him off until we see a decline in a season that’s not pledged by injury. For these reason, it seems like this unit has pretty much evened out.

Outside Linebacker

Greg: Same
Dave: Same

The Steelers still have their great outside linebacker duo and Nick Herbig looks to step into the third OLB spot in his second season. Even if it’s only a three-man rotation at the position, expecting the same great production from the edge rushers is a fair assessment.

Inside Linebacker

Greg: Better
Dave: Better

The Steelers added their top free agent acquisition at inside linebacker and have a potential steel of a third-round draft pick. Add in the possibility of Cole Holcomb returning, his availability is more about how much better the Steelers are at inside linebacker than if they are better.

Cornerback

Greg: Better
Dave: Better

While I was nowhere close to saying this about the cornerbacks a month ago, I’ve really warmed up to what the Steelers are doing at the position. I was not sold on Donte Jackson but it appears he still has a lot to offer and is in a much better situation not having to be the top cornerback. Add in the Steelers former top cornerback as being their third option in Cam Sutton, and now I feel much better. But as Greg pointed out, the biggest thing about feeling better at cornerback is the play of Joey Porter Jr. that was outstanding last season and hopefully he can build on it in 2024.

Safety

Greg: Better
Dave: Better

Feeling better about safety is more about the availability of Minkah Fitzpatrick as he struggled with injury last season. Additionally, having DeShon Elliott able to play more towards the line of scrimmage and get Micah back in his centerfield role would be a much better situation for everyone.

Specialists

Greg: Better
Dave: Better

With Boswell and Kuntz both returning this year with no expectation of a fall off in play, this position group ultimately comes down to the punter. And based on past performance, even though it wasn’t in Pittsburgh, the hope is Cam Johnston is a significant upgrade.

Overall

Greg: Better
Dave: Better

As expected, the Steelers appear to be better overall than the previous season at this time before they have reported to training camp. This is the goal for every NFL team every year. While it doesn’t always happen, it is believed a general improvement of the league occurs each season. Therefore, it’s not if the Steelers improved at all, but if they improved both enough and more than the majority of teams.

To hear the full breakdown, check out the Pittsburgh Standard Time podcast below: