Each summer here at Steelers Depot, I like to take a shot at ranking each position group across the board in the AFC North.

It results in my Ranking The Rooms series, ranking the 12 position groups from best to worst in the division.

Then at the end of the series, I compile the rankings into points to see the top team entering the season. In case you missed that series, you can view the results here, with links to the individual position group breakdowns.

Now that we’re drawing closer to another edition of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, I wanted to take a shot at ranking the position groups on the Steelers from strongest to weakest. After a busy offseason under GM Omar Khan and first-year head coach Mike McCarthy, the roster looks pretty good overall.

Depth is strong and there are no real holes, so how do things shake out? Let’s find out.

1. EDGE

There’s no real debate here, even with T.J. Watt coming off a down season. Top to bottom, the outside linebacker group is very good in Pittsburgh.

Watt is eyeing a bounce back. He’s healthy, under a new coordinator in Patrick Graham, and is being challenged in all the right ways by new position coach CJ Ah You. He should be in line for a big rebound this season, getting back to his dominant ways.

He’ll have plenty of help around him, with Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig forming a terrific duo as complementary pieces. Highsmith was very good when healthy last season, while Herbig was arguably the Steelers’ best pure pass rusher throughout the 2025 season. Second-year pro Jack Sawyer is also a solid No. 4 OLB for the Steelers and was good in limited action.

2. iDL

Led by team captain Cameron Heyward, the defensive line group looks very strong entering 2026. Heyward is coming off another All-Pro season and is showing no signs of slowing down as a pass rusher or run defender.

Second-year pros Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black are expected to take significant steps forward this season, especially Harmon. He’s going to have a full offseason under his belt in Pittsburgh and knows what it takes in the NFL at this point. Same with Black.

Keeanu Benton is another solid young piece the Steelers have, though his role in 2026 remains to be seen at this point after some talks about Black playing more nose. Depth is very good here, too, with the signing of veteran Sebastian Joseph-Day, giving Pittsburgh a proven and versatile veteran in the trenches.

Esezi Otomewo, Dean Lowry and Logan Lee will battle it out for the final spots, as will rookie sixth-round pick Gabriel Rubio. The Steelers have invested a lot in this group in recent years, and things look pretty good.

3. CORNERBACK

What an offseason the Steelers had at cornerback. Signing Jamel Dean to a big deal in free agency was significant splash for the Black and Gold. He’s coming off a career year in Tampa Bay and now projects as a great fit in Pittsburgh’s scheme. He’s another long, physical corner who has the DNA the Steelers look for at the position.

He’ll pair with Joey Porter Jr. to create a formidable duo. Porter had a great 2025 season and is in line for a huge extension. He’s cleaned up the penalties in a big way and is shutting opponents down consistently. The turnover numbers aren’t there, but Porter is a true No. 1.

The Steelers also re-signed Asante Samuel Jr. before the start of free agency and drafted Georgia’s Daylen Everette in the third round. Brandin Echols returns for a second season as another dependable and versatile piece, too. Top to bottom, cornerback looks terrific for the Steelers.

Hopefully they have a good bit of health this season.

4. SAFETY

I am including Jalen Ramsey in the safety position, and he’s a big reason why I’m high on this group entering 2026. Ramsey could play a similar role to Hall of Famer Charles Woodson in the Steelers’ defense. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. have experience with Woodson and can deploy Ramsey in a similar way, moving him all over the defense.

Along with Ramsey at safety, DeShon Elliott returns at full strength after an injury-plagued season, giving the Steelers back arguably one of their most important defenders. He’s an exceptionally smart player and brings a physical edge that was missing on the defense.

Jaquan Brisker was added in free agency and was a great bit of business from the Steelers. He can move all over the field, has a ton of experience and is dependable. He’s a huge upgrade over what the Steelers had last season at the position. The fourth spot is up for grabs with veteran free agent signee Darnell Savage, second-year pro Sebastian Castro and rookie seventh-round pick Robert Spears-Jennings. Some intriguing options here, without a doubt.

5. iOL

There are a lot of moving parts here with the loss of Isaac Seumalo in free agency and Mason McCormick going from right to left guard, but this group looks really good on paper.

McCormick had a strong 2025 season and looks like he’s an ascending player who could turn into a dominant piece in his move back to his more natural position on the left side.

Zach Frazier is putting himself in the conversation of the best centers in football. He flies under the radar because he’s not loud nor flashy, but he’s so darn good and shows it week after week.

There is some concern at right guard with Spencer Anderson and Brock Hoffman battling it out for the starting job. Anderson was the swing lineman the last few years for the Steelers, while Hoffman has experience under McCarthy from his days in Dallas.

Rookie Gennings Dunker appears to be the future at right guard eventually, but he’ll need some time adjusting to the position after kicking inside from tackle in college. Earlier this offseason, Dunker was working primarily at left guard, so right guard might not be in the picture early on.

Ryan McCollum brings experience as the backup center, but he does find his roster spot in jeopardy with Hoffman’s presence and his versatility on the interior.

6. WR

Much like the cornerback room, the wide receiver room underwent a key overhaul this offseason. The Steelers traded for veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to shore up WR2 behind DK Metcalf. Then, the Steelers traded up in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft to land Alabama’s Germie Bernard, adding another good route runner who is physical and has consistent hands.

After struggling through the 2025 season while depending on the likes of Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling late in the year, things will be much better for Pittsburgh this season. McCarthy’s scheme will be much more friendly for the passing game, which bodes well for a bounce-back season from DK Metcalf.

Roman Wilson is back for a third season and should be in a better situation under McCarthy than he was in his first two seasons under Mike Tomlin. Ben Skowronek returns in a special teams role and could see an increase in usage offensively. Rookie Kaden Wetjen is eyeing a special teams role but needs to prove he’s more than just a return specialist, too.

7. TE

Having a top two of Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth is a great starting spot at tight end. Washington signed a big extension this offseason and should see an increased role in McCarthy’s scheme. Hopefully he gets more work in the passing game and the Steelers can really tap into that size advantage.

Freiermuth was frustrated with his usage last season, but that will change this year. He’s a great fit in McCarthy’s scheme and should be able to return his production from 2024. The only real concern with the position group is the depth.

Veteran Robert Tonyan was signed after a tryout in minicamp. He has experience with McCarthy and Rodgers, but his production has fallen off a cliff in recent years and he’s struggled to stay healthy.

Second-year pro JJ Galbreath spent some time with the Steelers last season as a UDFA, but was waived in September before signing a futures deal. Rookie UDFA Lake McRee is an intriguing option, too, but doesn’t provide much as a blocker.

8. RB

The Steelers have a really nice duo in Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle in the backfield. Together, they could be the best tandem in football. Warren is coming off a career year, rushing for 958 yards last season. He also had 40 receptions and played very well throughout the season.

The addition of Dowdle throws a bit of a wrench into things for Warren. Dowdle is coming off another 1,000-yard season and finds himself in position to make NFL history with a third straight 1,000-yard season with a different team. He’s a great fit in McCarthy’s scheme and fits the downhill power rushing attack the Steelers want to have.

But how things are split up between Warren and Dowdle remains to be seen.

Depth is intriguing behind those two, but it’s hard to say it’s good. Second-year pro Kaleb Johnson needs a major bounce back. He was largely a disaster as a rookie, and now he’s entering a new year with an entirely new coaching staff that had no ties to him last season. He’ll be in competition with veteran Travis Homer, who was signed in free agency for his special teams value, along with seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich, who is more versatile offensively and is better on special teams than Johnson.

Preseason standout Lew Nichols returns to take another shot at claiming a 53-man roster spot, as does Max Hurleman, another player similar to Heidenreich who can wear multiple hats.

9. OT

Troy Fautanu moving to left tackle is a good decision by the Steelers. He was a terrific left tackle in college, which led to him being a first-round pick by the Steelers before he settled in at right tackle. With Broderick Jones’ health up in the air, it makes sense the Steelers moved Fautanu to lock down Rodgers’ blindside.

Fautanu’s move also pushes Dylan Cook back over to right tackle. Cook played well late last season and could be even better at right tackle. However, he’s just keeping the spot warm for rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor. He’ll be a guy worth watching throughout training camp to see how he develops.

Jack Driscoll is an experienced swing tackle option, too, but that could all change if Jones is healthy in training camp and can get back onto the field.

I fully expect this position group to rise in these rankings next offseason.

10. SPECIALISTS

The Steelers specialists were my top team in the Ranking The Rooms series this offseason, due in large part to the presence of Chris Boswell. He’s arguably the best kicker in football, and he was paid like it this offseason. He connected on nearly 85% of his field goals last season and has been so good year after year.

Outside of Boswell, though, the specialists are in question. Pittsburgh brought back Cameron Johnston in free agency at punter after cutting him at the end of training camp. He punted in just one game for the Steelers after signing a big free agency deal in 2024, ultimately blowing his knee out in Week 1. Since then, he’s struggled with injuries and lost the starting job battle last summer.

Long snapper Christian Kuntz enters his seventh season in Pittsburgh, but he struggled at times last season with some snaps and dealt with an injury that caused the Steelers to add a long snapper during the season. He’s the only long snapper on the roster entering training camp, so his spot seems safe, but he needs to improve.

11. QB

I appreciate what the Steelers did this offseason at quarterback, spending a third-round pick on Drew Allar. He has all the tools in the world and was worth the investment. That’s the type of guy you take a chance on, especially under McCarthy. Outside of that, the quarterback room just doesn’t look all that great right now.

Rodgers is back for his final season in the NFL, and while he was good enough to lead the Steelers to a division title last season, he was an average quarterback who limited what the Steelers could do offensively. Will he get better under McCarthy? That remains to be seen. Mason Rudolph is an average backup, too.

There’s a lot of intrigue around Will Howard, but he hasn’t taken an NFL snap in his career. He has a chance to grab the backup job, but he needs to prove he can handle preseason reps.

12. OFF-BALL LB

The Steelers look deep on paper at inside linebacker with the likes of Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison in the room. All four have extensive NFL experience.

But this group was so underwhelming last season, and it’s puzzling that the Steelers ran it back with the same group this offseason.

Queen missed a team-worst 28 tackles last season and was a liability in coverage. Wilson struggled as a run defender, and after proclaiming himself the best coverage LB in the world, he failed to make an impact in coverage. Holcomb had some good moments in his return from injury, but he’s not what he once was, while Harrison was a major disappointment in his role as that downhill thumper against the run.

The only real bright spot in the ILB room is second-year pro Carson Bruener, who is quickly becoming a special teams ace for the Steelers and could vie for the special teams captain role.