Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 Rookie Horoscopes
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
I’ve never gone to see a fortune-teller, psychic, or medium. I don’t pay attention to horoscopes, or astrology. I don’t have a problem with it, and I have heard compelling stories about people’s experiences with those who dabble in the spirit or interdimensional realms, but it’s not for me.
Therefore predicting the future is something I shy away from. Who am I to say what will happen in a few days from now, let alone months or years? But then there is the adage “History repeats itself.” Letting history be our guide can help clear the murky waters and predictions become more like educated assumptions. So call it a reading of tea leaves, an educated guess, or whatever you want. Let’s peer into the unknown and predict what will come from the key contributors of the 2024 draft class of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Troy Fautanu will sit for at least five weeks
The Steelers have a surplus of talent at the offense line. It’s okay if you need to do a double-take. Read that again if you need to. For the first time since the departure of offensive line coach Mike Munchak, the Steelers have a formidable group in the trenches. No matter how young or inexperienced, they are strong across the board. Thus, the Steelers’ first-round pick will ride the pine and wait for his shot.
The evidence for this prediction can be gleaned from just last season. Broderick Jones waited behind a struggling offensive line before being injected into the starting line-up. Like last year, the fan base will be up in arms, begging for Fautanu to step in and for Jones to replace Dan Moore at left tackle. When it finally does happen, the line will improve, and the fan base will be angry it didn’t happen sooner.
Zach Frazier will be forced into a starter role
Contrary to Fautanu, there is no reasonable option at center ahead of Frazier. Nate Herbig is not a talented enough bridge to make it out of the preseason with the starting role, and thus Frazier will get the nod in week one. It might not look exactly the same, but this will be a similar approach the Steelers took with Kendrick Green.
The similarity between Green and Fraizer begins and ends with the position they play, but there will certainly be a learning curve for Frazier. This time, fans will be upset when they use their 20/20 hindsight to recognize the Steelers’ front office has neglected the position for too long since Maurkice Pouncey retired. Nevertheless, Fraizer will succeed this season and should be a positive contributor this season.
Roman Wilson will create a splash early, then tail off
Similar to Frazier, Roman Wilson must get snaps early. He has a strong pedigree of blocking and has strong hands in the passing game. He has a high ceiling and will likely perform well early. The main reason he will get these snaps, however, is because there isn’t anyone else. With George Pickens looking to prove to the world that he is a true number-one, there isn’t another wide receiver on the roster in Pittsburgh that seems capable of filling the number-two role.
As the season progresses and Wilson performs, Tomlin will reel him in as he did with Chase Claypool during his rookie season. Tomlin will explain that this is for the sake of preserving the player for the postseason and allowing him to develop. Fans will be outraged by Wilson’s drop in production. Assuming Wilson’s headspace is nothing like Claypool’s, he will flourish down the stretch and readily fill whatever role he is given.
Payton Wilson will get plenty of work at linebacker
If you weren’t aware, Payton Wilson is fast. He’s a freak athlete with plenty of football experience. He also doesn’t have an ACL. I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know what to think about that, but the Steelers probably aren’t planning on taking the “wait and see” approach. With the outlook on Cole Holcomb’s return looking bleak at best, Wilson will likely play a significant amount of minutes behind Elandon Roberts and Patrick Queen. Somewhere between Week Five and the bye, expect to see Wilson and Roberts begin to split time equally as Queen remains the every-down back.
Look no further than Keanu Benton’s rookie season for an example. Benton’s snap count increases steadily throughout the season, slowly taking on more of a role and ultimately solidifying himself as a factor in the interior. Fans won’t gripe about Wilson as his smattering of snaps will be consistent and his name will come up in the broadcast frequently.
This will work out
There is no doubt that we live in an immediate gratification society. Most fans likely want all four top picks to start against the Falcons in Week One. Unless there’s an injury apocalypse, you can be confident Tomlin will do the right thing and not rush them all in. Tomlin’s development of Joey Porter Jr., Nick Herbig, Benton and Jones has been applauded on a national scale, despite Tomlin getting criticized throughout the process. Tomlin has earned the trust that he will get it right again, and that the Steelers’ newest additions will be ready to go when it matters most.
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