Which position group was least concerning for the 2022 Steelers?

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 season has now been concluded for more than six weeks. Since the entire 2022 season is over with all teams moving into the 2023 offseason, there’s been plenty of time to look back and reflect on both the accomplishments and shortcomings of this past year‘s team.

Since it’s impossible to go back and change the past, what’s most important when looking at 2022 is to see how it builds towards the future in 2023 and beyond. With much discussion about which position group the Steelers need to improve based on potential free agent losses and things of that nature, sometimes what gets lost in the shuffle‘s where the Steelers had both the most and least success in the previous year. It’s possible for the Steelers to be losing no one at a given position yet still need to do something based on expectations coming up short the previous year. Additionally, another position group could be the strongest for the team and a focus on keeping the group intact might be the best approach.

So before looking ahead at what positions the Steelers ultimately need to address when the league year begins in just over two weeks, let’s take a chance to reflect back and identify the Steelers strengths and weaknesses. Since the discussion of weaknesses was already covered, it’s time to look at the strengths.

So the question for today is this: Which position group of the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers was the least concerning? Remember, this is looking back at this past season and not moving ahead as the results of this discussion will be the driving force behind those questions which will be addressed next weekend.

A lot of the breakdown of these positions was done yesterday, so these explanations will be brief.

Quarterback

There was plenty of debate among Steelers fans as to which quarterback was actually the best to play in 2022. Does that make the position group stronger or weaker?

Running back

The Steelers rushing attack just didn’t quite seem right early in the season, but it got going as time went on. Having Jaylen Warren to spell Najee Harris was helpful, and the players down the depth chart performed admirably in the brief time they were called upon.

Offensive line

The best thing the group had going for them this season was health and continuity. But is that really good enough to not be concerned?

Tight end

All three of the Steelers tight ends stepped up when called upon at various times in the season.

Wide receiver

It takes a lot of wide receivers to feel confident in the entire group as many of them play throughout the game. But it’s a big concern when the leading receiver for the season doesn’t score a touchdown.

Defensive line

It takes a lot of bodies to form an effective rotation on the defensive line. Was the Steelers depth enough to instill confidence?

Outside linebacker

On one side there’s a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and on the other a player on the rise who had 14.5 sacks. Unfortunately they can’t play 100% of the snaps.

Inside linebacker

If you read yesterdays article, you already know where that poll is heading so I’m not going to try to spin it any other way.

Cornerback

The Steelers didn’t have a true lock-down corner, but the total number of players used managed to get the job done throughout the season.

Safety

It’s the only position group where the Steelers had an All-Pro player in 2022. But there’s more than one safety on the field at a time.

Specialists

Steelers fans used to have confidence that Boswell would be automatic when he came on the field, but not this season. And every time the Steelers were in punt formation the dreaded shank always seemed like a possibility.

So there is a brief reminder as to how each position group performed during the 2022 season. Now the rest of the story is up to you. Which position group do you believe was the least concerning last season? Make sure to vote in the poll and leave your thoughts in the comments below.