When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, everyone wants to talk about the same guys. Everyone is excited about the return of Ben Roethlisberger and how much better T.J. Watt can be but there are plenty of guys on this team who don’t get the attention they deserve. These are the players who might be most vital to this team’s success.
Here are our five most underrated Steelers on the roster.
K Chris Boswell
No one could stop talking about Boswell in 2018 when he struggled. But Boswell returns to form in 2019 and no one has a thing to say about it. Boswell is one of the most consistent scoring threats on the roster and has won this team multiple games over the course of his career.
G David DeCastro
This is going to be a huge year for the Steelers offensive line. There will be at least one new starter and this group continues to get older instead of younger. DeCastro is easily the best offensive lineman on the roster and is coming off of a season whereas a unit they were poor as run blockers. If there is a guy on the line who can elevate the level of those around them, it’s DeCastro.
WR James Washington
Last season, no Steelers wide receiver was great. but it certainly wasn’t their fault. Problems at quarterback made every wide receiver look bad but let’s not discount what Washington did. In his final eight games of the season (he didn’t play in Week 17) Washington was the most dynamic receiver on the roster. He caught 85 percent of his catchable targets and ended up leading the team in receiving yards and yards per reception.
LB Vince Williams
Williams lost his spot in the starting lineup in 2019 because the Steelers decided to go with Mark Barron instead. Well guess what? Barron is long gone and Williams is back in the starting lineup where he belongs. No player on the Steelers defense works harder on every play than Williams and his production is highly underrated. He has 12.5 sacks in the last two seasons and might be the best pass-rushing off-ball linebacker in the NFL.
CB Mike Hilton
If the Steelers can’t find a way to sign Hilton after this season, it is going to be a real shame. The Steelers have kept Hilton around on cheap contracts for the past three seasons and while he did get a nice bump for 2020, his skills say he should have a longterm contract. Hilton is incredibly physical, sticky in coverage and completely fearless no matter what the coaches ask of him.
