Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart 2018 Steelers Depth Chart

Preseason Analysis: Steelers Want to Send Ben Off with Another Ring

Pittsburgh made a move to the future, drafting Mason Rudolph out of Oklahoma State. Rudolph was in a pass-happy program, and will take a backup role to Ben Roethlisburger this season and maybe the next few depending on his retirement. Rudolph could be a guy Pittsburgh goes to for the future, and that is certainly not a bad thing by any means. After going back and forth with Martavis Bryant last season, and the emergence of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Bryant is gone leaving the door up for him to be a clear cut number two in a very good offense. Of course Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell are still the top options on this team, but this has been a top offense for a number of years. James Washington is an interesting name to keep an eye on, drafted out of Oklahoma State as well. We could be looking at a pairing of the future if Pittsburgh decides to stick with it. James Conner out of Pittsburgh is more than just a good story, he is some safety if Bell holds out, or has another significant injury. He would be leaned on as a full time back if that was every the case.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have many questions heading into the 2018 season, but one thing in the Steel City remains the same, the Steelers will only go as far as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger takes them. The offensive firepower is there and so are plenty of players with playoff experience. However, with Roethlisberger obviously in the twilight of his career, 2018 may be Big Ben’s final season and you know he would like nothing else than to walk away from the game as a Super Bowl champion. At 36-years-old, Roethlisberger will once again have the great talents of Le’Veon Bell at running back along with star wideouts Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, but 2018 seems to be shaping up as a “Super Bowl or bust” type year for this Pittsburgh crew, who may be on the cusp of imploding if the season starts badly. The first possible problem is Le’Veon Bell. Bell, who will play the 2018-19 season under the franchise tag recently turned down a long-term deal reportedly worth $70 million to stay in Pittsburgh. Second is which Big Ben will Steelers fans see on the field to start the season? Roethlisberger has been very vocal about all of the problems with the Steelers and when things start to slide south, he has a tendency to talk about how he is ready to retire and walk away from the game at any given moment.

The last time Roethlisberger and the Steelers suited up for a game was back on January 14, 2018 when they were trampled by the Jacksonville Jaguars 45-42. The final score may have been only a 3-point difference, but fans watching that game know that the Jags dominated from start to finish. And let’s be honest, Roethlisberger has had an incredible career, however, the Steelers don’t really have a QB on the staff that can step right in and play at the level that Big Ben has for over a decade. The Steelers are hoping they may have drafted the heir apparent for Roethlisberger in Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph. Rudolph is 6’5” and has a cannon for an arm. He also put up monstrous numbers in college, throwing for over 13,000 yards and 94 touchdowns in his four-year career.

The Steelers also selected Rudolph’s teammate, wideout James Washington, who has the potential to get some serious starting time this season as a possible No. 3 option on offense. The Steelers really are a coin flip type team heading into this season. As one of the top ten teams listed as the 2019 Super Bowl favorites, the potential to win their 7th championship in team history is definitely there. However, a bad start may lead to inner turmoil that can tear this team apart. It has happened before. Fans of the Steelers all across the globe are hoping for the best and feeling positive about the team's chances in 2018. After all, Pittsburgh finished 13-3 overall last season, had an incredible 7-1 record on the road and went a perfect 6-0 against division rivals.