The Steelers’ offseason additions made this exercise a lot tougher than it has been in recent years, but the top of the list still looks familiar. With nine Sundays left until Pittsburgh opens the 2026 season against the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers’ best players are starting to come into focus.
This list sticks to offensive and defensive players only, so Chris Boswell is left out despite how valuable he is. From there, the Steelers have a mix of proven stars, rising talents and a few veterans who still drive the whole operation.
At the top, there’s no mystery: Cam Heyward remains the standard. Even at 37, he’s still producing like a superstar, and his 2025 season backed that up.
He finished with 78 tackles, the third-most of his career, and his 58 run stops led all defensive linemen. Heyward now has six All-Pro selections, including two after turning 35, and his Second-Team All-Pro nod in 2025 only reinforced how well he’s aging.
The journey to Canton keeps rolling.
Right behind him is Zach Frazier, who has already established himself as one of the best centers in football. The case for him at No. 2 is strong enough to put him in the conversation with Creed Humphrey, Aaron Brewer of the Miami Dolphins and Tyler Linderbaum of the Las Vegas Raiders. Frazier committed just three penalties in 2025 and gave up only one sack, while also helping create room for Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.
The cornerback room gives Pittsburgh another elite piece in Joey Porter Jr. In 2025, he didn’t allow a touchdown and posted a catch rate above expected of -11 percent, which was better than Patrick Surtain II, Derek Stingley, Trent McDuffie and the rest of the top-tier cornerbacks in the discussion.
He also allowed a lower passer rating than all of those players except Stingley. Even the penalty issues that showed up earlier in his career were cut way down, with Porter flagged only six times last season.
The Penn State product has become one of the league’s best man-to-man corners, and his extension should come before the 2026 season begins.
Nick Herbig lands at No. 4, and his calling card is obvious: splash plays. He tied T.J.
Watt for the team lead with three forced fumbles in 2025, added an interception and 13 tackles for loss, and finished with 19 quick pressures and 45 total pressures. That tied him with Alex Highsmith in total pressures and underscored how much disruption he brought off the edge.
Watt comes in at No. 5, though not without some hesitation. He hasn’t looked like T.J.
Watt since 2023, and last season he finished with 7.5 sacks. His 44 pressures ranked third among Steelers edge rushers, and his 10.1 percent pressure rate did too.
Nobody is asking for 22.5 sacks again, but Pittsburgh needs a real rebound here, with a double-digit sack season the baseline expectation. If someone wanted to flip Watt and Highsmith, there wouldn’t be much argument.
Highsmith’s spot at No. 6 reflects the best pass-rushing season he’s had since 2022, when he posted 14.5 sacks. He recorded 21 quick pressures, more than Jared Verse and Danielle Hunter of the Houston Texans, and his average time to sack of 4.37 seconds was faster than Aidan Hutchinson and Myles Garrett.
Troy Fautanu checks in at No. 7 after a strong 2025 at right tackle following the injury-shortened rookie year that wiped out most of his debut season. Pittsburgh ranked 11th in success rate on runs to the right side, according to SumerSports, and now Fautanu is moving to the left side to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blind side. If he keeps his sacks allowed total around the two he gave up in 2025, that will be a win for both him and the quarterback.
Jamel Dean slides in at No. 8, and his addition has somehow flown under the radar. The veteran corner had another strong season in 2025, allowing just one touchdown as the nearest defender while picking off three passes. He also gave up only 22 catches on 51 targets, and his target EPA of -28.3 was second among qualified defensive backs, behind only Jalen Pitre of the Houston Texans.
DK Metcalf comes in at No. 9 after a down 2025 season, though there’s some context there. He was the only real threat Pittsburgh had at receiver, and that burden mattered. With Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard now in the mix, the two-time Pro Bowler should have more room to work and a better chance to look like the player he was in Seattle.
Jaylen Warren rounds out the list at No. 10, and the hope is that Pittsburgh leans on him more in 2026. He played only 50 percent of offensive snaps last season, but he still made the most of his opportunities.
Warren set career highs with 956 rushing yards, 333 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns. The Oklahoma State product remains one of the league’s best dual-threat backs, and the Steelers would be smart to use him that way more consistently.
In Other News...
Steelers Finally Face The Real Kaleb Johnson Question
Kaleb Johnsons first year in Pittsburgh never really got off the ground, and the numbers tell the story. The second-year back finished with 28 carries for 69 rushing yards and no touchdowns, a modest workload that left the Steelers with more questions than answers about how he fits into the offense. Even with a new season approaching, the path forward is not as simple as handing him a bigger role and seeing what happens.
Pittsburgh has also added Rico Dowdle and fullback Riley Nowakowski to the backfield mix, which means Johnson will have to earn every touch in a room that looks different than it did a year ago. Still, there is at least a sense that Mike McCarthys offense could open the door for a more balanced ground game, and Johnsons chance to move from afterthought to factor may depend on whether he can finally seize it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers May Have Found More Than A Typical Seventh Round Safety
The Steelers used a seventh-round pick on Robert Spears-Jennings in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Oklahoma safety brings more than the usual late-round rsum. He spent four seasons with the Sooners, worked his way into a two-year starting role and wore the captains label as a senior, giving Pittsburgh a young defensive back with experience, leadership and a background that suggests he can handle more than just camp competition.
What makes Spears-Jennings interesting for the Steelers is the blend of traits that could help him carve out a role on defense and on special teams. Pittsburgh has a history of finding value in backs who can do a little of everything, and Spears-Jennings has the kind of physical profile that leaves room for development, even if the next step is still being sorted out. The question now is whether the Steelers can mold him into the kind of versatile safety who becomes more than a depth piece. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Camp Battle Could End Badly For Two Young Running Backs
The Steelers are sorting through a quieter but still important camp battle behind Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, with the No. 3 running back spot carrying more weight than it might seem at first glance. In a role that often comes down to special teams work, pass protection and overall roster flexibility, Kaleb Johnson, Eli Heidenreich and Travis Homer are each trying to show they can be more than just a developmental name on the depth chart.
Homer brings the most established special teams value, which gives him a different kind of case than the younger backs trying to carve out a place. Johnson and Heidenreich have their own appeal, but both still have to prove they can handle the less glamorous parts of the job, and that is where camp battles like this can turn quickly for a young player trying to survive roster cuts. [Read more 🡒]