There is an old saying in football that says you can’t have a Pro Bowl player at every position. And while I agree with the sentiment, I also understand that you want as much talent at certain positions as possible. Some of these positions are true for all teams, like quarterback, but others depend on the team. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, we are going to rank the starting 11 on offense to see how they stack up, not only against one another but on their own team.
Keep in mind everyone. these are my rankings. I understand and respect the fact that some other fans will see this list differently. And I also understand that there might be players who don’t start who are probably better football players than some of this list. I am basing this stricly on who I believe will be the 11 starters this season.
1. Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback- Obviously Roethlisberger is the key to this offense. Whether it’s his arm or his legs, he has a knack for the big play and even with all his drama on the field and off, I wouldn’t trade him for another quarterback in the league. In this new offensive system, I expect huge numbers from Roethlisberger and a push for league MVP.
2. Maurkice Pouncey, Center- This one might seem a little high but bare with me. Pouncey is one of the best young centers in the game, and when he was down with an injury last season you really saw how much they missed him. Putting Pouncey this high just shows how important the center position is for the Steelers. Historically, they have had some of the best in the game with players like Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, and Jeff Hartings. Pouncey is smart and athletic and technically exceptional and does everything right.
3. Mike Wallace, Wide Receiver- Even in the midst of a holdout nothing changes about just how good Wallace is. He’s built for speed and his 18.7 yards per catch average for his 3 year career is proof of that. His ability to extend defenses impacts every facet of the offense and his ability to make big plays works so well with the big game style of Roethlisberger.
4. Heath Miller, Tight End- I continue to carry the torch for Miller that he’s more talented than his production has indicated. He came into the league as a receiving tight end but other than in 2009 when he caught 76 passes, he’s never shown up in the boxscore the way I had hoped. But he does show flashes and just needs more targets in the offense. The entire team would benefit from Miller being more involved.
5. Willie Colon, Guard- Most intelligent Steelers fans have been clamoring for Colon to move back to guard, his natural position and now that he has, you can really see that this is where he belongs. His career has been marred with some injuries, and while I might consider this somewhat predictive, I expect big things from Colon at guard this year.
6. Antonio Brown, Wide Receiver- If Wallace is the speed receiver in this offense than Brown is the other speed receiver in the offense. Brown exploded onto the scene last year in his 2nd season with 69 catches and better than a 16 ypc average. If he was more of a threat to score, I’d have ranked him higher, but if the Wallace holdout continues this will certainly mean more targets for Brown.
7. Isaac Redman, Running Back- With incumbent starting running back Rashard Mendenhall still recovering from a serious knee injury, Redman is going to get his shot to start this season. Redman is a fan favorite and runs hard with a nice forward lean. He’s not particularly explosive or shifty, but he can grind it out, move the chains and in an expanded role should put up very good numbers.
8. David DeCastro, Guard- DeCastro was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft because even as an interior offensive lineman his ability to impact the offense was clear. So far in camp he has not disappointed showing the power and athleticism that made him so good at Stanford. Steelers fans are used to having great guard play from a guy by the name of Alan Faneca and early polls say that DeCastro is going to be that kind of player as well.
9. Marcus Gilbert, Tackle- Gilbert was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL draft to start at one of the tackle positions. He probably didn’t realize his first 13 starts would be due to an injury to Colon, but he made the most of them and returns this year as the starter. Gilbert’s potential is immense and when I re-do these rankings mid season, Gilbert will almost certainly move up this list.
10. Max Starks, Tackle- Love me some Starks. Even with the drafting of Mike Adams, I was glad to see them bring Starks back. He’s not elite by any means but he’s a smart veteran player who understands this system inside and out. Adams is the future and more talented than Starks but for now it’s his spot and he’ll make the most of it.
11. David Johnson, FB/TE- I’m not sure what you call Johnson, but whether it’s a lead blocking fullback or as a 2nd tight end, Johnson goes out and does his job. He’s a role player who knows his job and does it every down. Every team needs a lunch pail kind of player on their roster, and for the Steelers Johnson is that guy.
I will do this list again mid-season, and again at the end just before the start of the playoffs. Will it change? Should it change now? If you think so, come find me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nfldraftboard and let me know what order you would have done.
