Everyone knows the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to lean heavily on guys like Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner on offense. The same can be said for Joe Haden, Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt on defense. These players are all among the best at their respective positions in the league.
But who are the x-factors? The guys you might not think about as a star but give the Steelers a different look or facet to their game the opposition might not be planning for and add a spark to one side of the football or the other.
Here are our four x-factor players for the upcoming season.
WR Ryan Switzer
Switzer is the only player on the roster to line up as a running back, wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner last season. Switzer plays with exceptional energy and effort and takes nothing for granted. He earned the trust of the coaching staff last season and he could be a real sleeper on offense from the slot position.
S/LB Mark Barron
All the talk is about Devin Bush but let’s not forget the Steelers gave a contract to free-agent linebacker Mark Barron as well. And if he can return to form from 2016 might be the player Pittsburgh thought they had in Morgan Burnett last season but didn’t. Barron has the speed and body type to play linebacker or safety and could put up nice numbers in a hybrid role.
LB Ola Adeniyi
Who is the team’s second-best pass-rushing outside linebacker? On paper, it is probably Bud Dupree but we are counting on second-year pro Ola Adeniyi pushing him for that spot. The team has seen enough in Adeniyi they really did very little to add to the outside linebacker depth chart. Adeniyi could be the Steelers’ secret weapon on defense with his ability to come off the edge.
RB Jaylen Samuels
Just because James Conner made the Pro Bowl and Benny Snell Jr. comes in with a lot of fanfare, we cannot forget about Samuels. His body of work is small but after going back and watching his game against the Patriots last season, it’s hard not to wonder what sort of new wrinkles the Steelers have for him, especially as a receiver.
