The Pittsburgh Steelers led the NFL is sacks last season with 51. So why are we talking about a need for another outside pass rusher? Because despite all those sacks, the Steelers were not among the best in terms of total pressures. Meaning if Pittsburgh didn’t get a sack on a passing play, odds were the opposing quarterback wasn’t under much duress at all.
The current state of the Steelers’ outside linebackers is as follows. T.J. Watt is a star. The best outside linebacker on the depth chart and one of the best defenders on the team. Bud Dupree has underperformed and could be playing his last season unless he has a breakout year.
Veteran Anthony Chickillo is the team’s primary backup but offers very little as a pass rusher. This situation prompted many to hope Pittsburgh would pursue a veteran edge rusher like Justin Houston in free agency. But Houston ended up signing a huge deal with the Indianapolis Colts.
In terms of the draft, there are plenty of fans who would love to see the Steelers invest heavily in a top edge rusher to pair up with Watt after this season. But perhaps Pittsburgh already has the next great Pittsburgh pass rusher on the roster.
Ola Adeniyi is a former UDFA who had excellent film in college. Adeniyi only played in one game last season but the Steelers thought enough of him not to leave him exposed on the practice squad. I can’t help but think the Steelers have plans for him this season.
As Fowler points out, he believes the Steelers could dip into late free agency for some veteran depth. This is very true but I am hopeful Pittsburgh gives Adeniyi a fair shot to win a roster spot this offseason. Adeniyi was impressive in preseason last year and should be even better with a full year under his belt.
