The Steelers have made a lot of improvements over last season or have at least attempted to address a lot of their weaknesses. Three preseason games in, it appears as if they have successfully taken care of at least a few areas and that may translate into a much-improved team.
The area that has improved the most is the linebackers unit, and that should make the defense much better. Alex Highsmith looks like he will be the most improved player on the team. He is ready for a breakout season and so far has been dominant in the preseason. If he has the kind of season that it appears he is poised to have, the loss of Bud Dupree will become a distant memory.
But the two new additions — Joe Schobert and Melvin Ingram — have added to the depth and the unit's skill set. Schobert gives the Steelers a player to cover from the linebacker spot and in certain sub packages. On Saturday, Schobert made plays in coverage that Steelers linebackers have not been able to make in recent years.
The starting unit of Highsmith, Schobert, Devin Bush and T.J. Watt has a chance to be the best unit in the NFL. That's obviously subjective, but that is going to be a unit that is only going to get better as the season progresses.
Najee Harris was drafted in the first round because the Steelers' top priority was to fix the running game. It has been only three preseason games, but he has a chance to be the rookie of the year. He has all the tools — he runs hard and physical, he makes defenders miss, he has more speed than it would appear, and he can cut back quickly. He had an excellent catch and run out of the backfield Saturday that was a preview of the kind of weapon he can become.
It is unfair to make comparisons, but he is the kind of "ultimate weapon" that Le'Veon Bell was. And given the Steelers' weapons at receiver and new tight end Pat Freiermuth, Harris should have plenty of room to run. The offense is no longer one-dimensional, and it should make everyone better.
Freiermuth is a huge upgrade at tight end and he should be the starter when the season opens. His two touchdowns Saturday showed he can become a force in the red zone. Both of his catches were difficult ones and he hung onto them through contact and falling to the ground.
Eric Ebron showed the good, the bad and the ugly of what he is. He had a bad penalty, he dropped a third down pass and he also made a few big plays. Consistency is his issue, but he has the ability to be a major factor as a second option at tight end.
The offensive line is a work in progress. Saturday was the first time all five played together, and it was more good than bad. The run blocking schemes in Matt Canada's offense are much better than those in Randy Fichtner's offense. The line at times was able to create big holes for the running backs but still had a few leaks. It will continue to improve with more reps together.
Cornerback remains a work in progress, but there are clearly some good options. James Pierre has stood out so far among the younger players vying for playing time. This is probably still the area with the biggest questions but we have seen the unit improve weekly, and that's a good trend.
Beating up on the Lions is not generally a very good gauge of much of anything. The Lions are a terrible team and didn't have some of their best players playing, so it is tough to gauge exactly how good the Steelers are.
The overall body of work this preseason, though, suggests the Steelers are a much better team than they were last year. They are deeper at a lot of positions, they have more playmakers and there are a few players like Highsmith who should take a big step forward.
The Steelers have one more preseason game to go, but most of the starters won't play. That's not a bad thing because it is the last opportunity for Mike Tomlin to shore up the team's depth. There are a lot of roster spots already decided, so the cuts won't be nearly as difficult as they are in some years.
All of it should add up to an improved Steelers team and one that may be able to contend for a Super Bowl. There will be some growing pains, but I think this will be a team that hits its stride in the second half of the season.
