5 players who Steelers need to be great in 2020

4. Joe Haden

Joe Haden played well enough to get back to the Pro Bowl in 2019, but the Steelers can’t afford for his performance to slip this year. Placing that kind of bet on a cornerback heading into his age-31 season does carry some significant risk for Pittsburgh.

Fortunately, Haden didn’t show any meaningful signs of age-related regression last year. He still looked very quick out of his breaks and held up well in matchups with top receivers throughout the league.

It’s worth noting that Haden benefits massively from his team’s ferocious pass rush. They prevent him from being isolated against elite speed for extended periods of time. It’s possible that will cover up some loss of speed from Haden as he enters the latter stages of his career.

No matter what, he has to be this team’s No. 1 cornerback for at least another season. Steven Nelson certainly isn’t capable of handling that kind of responsibility on the other side of the formation. Haden will have to play like a Pro Bowler again in 2020 to keep his defense among the NFL’s elite groups.