In support of: The Trevor Project
Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
Nominated by Herms (@HermsNFL)
“I chose @TrevorProject because being a kid/teenager is already difficult enough & it’s even harder to handle as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The suicide rate is significantly higher among that population & The Trevor Project not only has a free hotline but also does a lot in the way of creating a more inclusive world for everyone. I have many friends who belong to that community & my connection to the struggle just as someone with bipolar II disorder I can empathize to the extent that I can as a straight man. Anything that makes the world more inclusive & helps people who really need it is a worthy cause to me.“
#Project32 Menu
2020 Recap
Division: AFC North
2020 Finish: 12-4 (1st in AFC North)
2020 Tendencies:
- Passing Ratio: 64% (2nd)
- Neutral Game Script: 66% (1st)
- Offensive Scheme: Erhardt-Perkins
Personnel Groupings:
- 11 Personnel (1RB, 1TE, 3WR) = 75%
- 12 Personnel (1RB, 2TE, 2WR) = 12%
- 22 Personnel (2RB, 2TE, 1WR) = 5%
- 01 Personnel (0RB, 1TE, 4WR) = 5%
- 21 Personnel (2RB, 1TE, 2WR) = 2%
- 00 Personnel (0RB, 0TE, 5WR) = 1%
Coaching Room
Head Coach: Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin has been the head coach in Pittsburgh for 14 years and has never had a losing season. That ties him for the longest streak in the history of the league with Marty Schottenheimer. His .650 winning percentage ranks him eighth in NFL history (min. 100 games) and he has led the Steelers to seven division titles, three AFC championship games, and won a Super Bowl. The Steelers started the 2020 season with 11 consecutive wins before losing four of the last five games and being bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Browns. With the addition of Najee Harris and the return of JuJu Smith-Schuster the Steelers should once again be explosive on offense.
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Canada
Matt Canada was promoted to offensive coordinator when the Steelers chose to move on from Randy Fitchtner, who has been with the Steelers since Tomlin hired him in 2007. Canada served as the teams quarterbacks coach in 2020 and will now take over an offense that has made some key changes at the skill positions including the additions of Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth who will replace James Conner and Vance McDonald, respectively. It was believed that JuJu Smith-Schuster was going to be playing somewhere else in 2021, but instead chose to remain with the Steelers so the skill positions look to be on solid ground. It will take some time for Canada to fully implement his offense, but you can expect to see more shifts and motions pre-snap, power run schemes, play-action, and a wide range of formations and personnel groupings. When you break it down the concepts are traditional, but the window dressing he uses to keep the defense off balance should be fun to watch. Surprises in store in 2021.
Overall Rank: 11th/32
OL Room
LT Chukwuma Okorafor – PFF 57.4, Pass Blocking 62.4, Run Blocking 50.1
Chukwuma Okorafor played 1028 snaps at right tackle giving up 3 sacks, 5 hits, and 26 total pressures. The Steelers believe Okorafor is better suited as a left tackle and now that the Steelers have moved on from Alejandro Villanueva, he can transition to the left side.
LG Kevin Dotson – PFF 66.2, Pass Blocking 87.2, Run Blocking 55.1
Kevin Dotson was drafted in the fourth round after playing collegiately for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. He was not expected to be a starter in 2020, but when David DeCastro and Stefen Wisniewski were injured he was thrust into the starting lineup in Week 2. Dotson ended up starting four games for the Steelers, two at right guard and two at left guard and played in a total of 13 games. He has earned the respect of his teammates and looks to make a bigger impact in year two.
C Kendrick Green – PFF 88.0, Pass Blocking 75.2, Run Blocking 88.6
Kendrick Green was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Illinois University where he played both guard and center. He is explosive in the run game and offers short-area quickness and athleticism but struggles to sustain blocks due to shorter arms.
RG Trai Turner – PFF 34.8, Pass Blocking 51.3, Run Blocking 29.8
Trai Turner played six seasons with the Carolina Panthers and was selected to the Pro Bowl every year from 2014-2019. After six great years in Carolina he was traded to the Los Angeles Chargers where he missed seven games due to injury in 2020. Turner looks to bring veteran leadership to this group and looks to be fully healthy again in time for the season.
RT Zach Banner – PFF 63.7, Pass Blocking 52.1, Run Blocking 69.3
Zach Banner had a great camp in 2020 and was the starting right tackle going into the season opener. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury in that game and was lost for the remainder of the year. In his three seasons in the NFL, Banner has only started two games and played a total of 302 snaps. However, he should be the opening day starter once again in 2021.
New Toys: Rashaad Coward, B.J. Finney, Joe Haeg
Old News: Matt Feiler (13/13), Maurkice Pouncey (13/13), Alejandro Villanueva (16/16)
Overall Rank: 29th/32
QB Room
Ben Roethlisberger (QB22)
Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to an 11-0 start in 2020 and finished with 608 pass attempts, which is tied for the second most in his career. The Steelers ranked second in the league in team pass plays per game and have one of the best receiving rooms in the NFL with Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and JuJu Smith-Schuster who just signed a one-year contract to remain with the Steelers in 2021. They also have Eric Ebron and second round draft pick, Pat Freiermuth, at the tight end position along with Najee Harris who they selected in the first round out of Alabama. Big Ben should be very happy with the talent this organization continues to put around him. He is only two years removed from the 2018 season when he put up over 5,000 yards passing and 34 touchdowns.
Fantasy Outlook
Passing: 638 attempts, 67.6%, 4746 yards, 35 touchdowns
Rushing: 21 attempts, 27 yards, 0 touchdowns
Total Fantasy Points: 306.5
New Toys: Dwayne Haskins
Old News: N/A
Fantasy Position rank: 24th/32
RB Room
Najee Harris (RB13)
Najee Harris will replace James Conner in the backfield and the Steelers believe he is a generational back that should make an immediate impact. Harris is a three down back out of Alabama that finished his collegiate career with 4,624 total yards and 57 touchdowns including 80 receptions. He left Alabama as the all-time leader in touchdowns (57), rushing touchdowns (46), and rushing yards (3,843). Pretty impressive considering Alabama has produced great backs like Mark Ingram, Shaun Alexander, and Derrick Henry who all went on to have great NFL Careers.
Fantasy Outlook
Rushing: 294 attempts, 1233 yards, 10 touchdowns
Receiving: 77 targets, 57 receptions, 437 yards, 3 touchdowns
Total Fantasy Points: 302.5
New Toys: Kalen Ballage
Old News: James Conner (13/11)
Fantasy Position Rank: 28th/32
WR Room
Chase Claypool (WR17)
Chase Claypool made quite the impression in his rookie season. The second-round draft pick out of Notre Dame turned 109 targets into 62 receptions, 873 yards, and 9 touchdowns. Claypool was primarily used as the deep threat in this offense with an average depth of target of 12.5 compared to 7.4 and 5.5 for Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster, respectively. He has the rare combination of size (6’4) and speed (4.42) that should fit well in Matt Canada’s offense where play-action and intermediate to deep routes should play more of a role in 2021.
Fantasy Outlook
Receiving: 128 targets, 80 receptions, 1255 yards, 10 touchdowns
Rushing: 9 attempts, 33 yards, 0 touchdowns
Total Fantasy Points: 269.2
Diontae Johnson (WR21)
Diontae Johnson followed up a solid rookie season in 2019 with an even more impressive sophomore campaign in 2020. He led this young trio with 144 targets and had at least 10 targets in 11 games while hitting 15 or more twice. He quickly became Big Ben’s security blanket working the short to intermediate areas of the field. Expect more of the same from Diontae this upcoming season. No, I’m not going to mention he led the league in drops with 11….STOP IT.
Fantasy Outlook
Receiving: 147 targets, 100 receptions, 1098 yards, 8 touchdowns
Total Fantasy Points: 257.7
JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR47)
JuJu Smith-Schuster was once considered the alpha in this group entering the 2019 season, in large part, because Antonio Brown was no longer a member of this team. Smith-Schuster finished 2018 with 164 targets in Brown’s last season so expectations were clearly very high, but he missed four games in 2019 and finished with only 42 receptions for 552 yards and 3 touchdowns. Then the Steelers drafted Claypool and the wide receiver room suddenly became crowded at the top. Smith-Schuster was entering a contract year in 2020 and bounced back with 97 receptions, 831 yards and 9 touchdowns. Most of us believed his time in Pittsburgh was over and that he would look to cash in entering the off-season as a free agent, but instead returned to Pittsburgh to make another run with Big Ben.
Fantasy Outlook
Receiving: 115 targets, 83 receptions, 778 yards, 5 touchdowns
Total Fantasy Points: 190.5
New Toys: N/A
Old News: N/A
Fantasy Position Rank: 6th/32
TE Room
Eric Ebron (TE21)
Eric Ebron was the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft coming out of North Carolina. He has struggled to live up to the expectations of a first round pick except for his lone Pro Bowl season in 2018. He finished that season with 66 receptions for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns. He hasn’t been able to duplicate that success over the last two seasons and with the addition of Pat Freiermuth, we can expect that to continue. Ebron will always give you consistent production when given the opportunity but expect Freiermuth to challenge for target share at some point this season.
Fantasy Outlook
Receiving: 77 targets, 50 receptions, 528 yards, 5 touchdowns.
Total Fantasy Points: 132.6
Pat Freiermuth (TE36)
Pat Freiermuth was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft and should make an immediate impact in his rookie season. In his three years at Penn State he totalled 1,185 yards and 16 touchdowns with his best season coming in 2019 when he had 43 grabs for 507 yards and seven touchdowns. He doesn’t give you the athleticism of guys like Pitts, Kelce, Waller, and Kittle, but he was the best blocking tight end of this draft class and will get plenty of opportunities as a more traditional tight end. He landed in one of the best passing offenses in the league with a lot of mouths to feed, but should carve out a nice role.
Fantasy Outlook
Receiving: 45 targets, 29 receptions, 317 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Total Fantasy Points: 72.7
New Toys: N/A
Old News: Vance McDonald (14/12)
Fantasy Position Rank: 17th/32
2021 Full Player Projections
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Strength of Schedule (SOS): #1 (.563 143-111-2)
2021 Predicted Finish: 9-8 (3rd AFC North)
Note: all projections are PPR scoring
