There’s no denying the Pittsburgh Steelers have a loaded roster. You scan both sides of the football and you see former first and second-round picks everywhere. But there are some guys on the roster who aren’t bad but the perceptions of talented they are is skewed by the players around them.
Not surprisingly, all the guys on our overrated list are on the offensive side of the football. Here are our four most overrated Steelers.
OT Alejandro Villanueva
We are going to find out if Villaneuva can perform without Ramon Foster next to him on the offensive line. As a pass protector, Villanueva was solid in 2019. He allowed two sacks but overall wasn’t a liability. But his run blocking left much to be desired. Villaneuva was called for 10 penalties last season and it showed up on film just how much he struggled in helping the run game.
C Maurkice Pouncey
The only offensive lineman worse than Villanueva last season was Pouncey. Honestly, he’s been operating off of reputation for a couple of seasons but his play hasn’t been elite. His overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season as a miserable 51.5 but he still made the Pro Bowl. His chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger is his greatest asset but he needs to step up his play.
TE Vance McDonald
I don’t deny that McDonald is a solid tight end. But in terms of his impact on the offense, it’s minimal. Some of that has to do with the fact that McDonald struggles to say healthy. But more than that, Pittsburgh just cannot work him into the offense more. He is good for a catch or two that looks great when he’s trucking guys over but there’s zero consistency. Hopefully the addition of Eric Ebron will finally give Pittsburgh a tight end option to be trusted.
RB James Conner
This one will ruffle some black and gold feathers. Being the best running back on the Steelers roster doesn’t automatically qualify you as a great running back. Conner is solid. But he lacks any real elite traits and it shows on the field. Conner has also struggled with injuries and heading into the final year of his rookie contract has a lot to prove.
