Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 offseason needs in 2019

3. Linebacker

The loss of Ryan Shazier to catastrophic energy dealt the entire Steelers locker room a vicious emotional blow. His continued absence also leaves the team without a talented, athletic playmaker at the middle linebacker position. That deficiency must be addressed this offseason.

T.J. Watt is clearly going to keep one of the four starting spots, but Jon Bostic, Vince Williams and Bud Dupree could all feel some heat before the 2019 regular season kicks off. None of them are bad players, but they aren’t difference makers. This defense really needs one of their other linebackers to play at a Pro Bowl level if the unit wants to be elite.

The good news for Steelers fans is that inside linebacker isn’t really considered to be a premium position by most NFL teams at the moment. Look for their front office to try to take advantage of that market inefficiency. There will be talented linebackers available on the free agent market. Picking the right one could really elevate this Steelers defense in a big way.

Drafting a linebacker with top end speed will also be a consideration. Those guys are a little harder to project, but teams have been getting their evaluations correct lately. This year’s version of Roquan Smith would be perfect for Pittsburgh. Don’t be shocked if the Steelers use a high draft pick on a guy in Shazier’s mold.