Participant: TE Connor Heyward
Inventory Worth: Down
Reasoning: Although Connor Heyward’s special-teams worth might protect his roster spot, Jonnu Smith makes him a digital irrelevance on offense. In his first season below OC Arthur Smith final 12 months, he already noticed his utilization fee drop. He’ll, at finest, function the fourth tight finish this 12 months, making marginal offensive contributions.
Though the Steelers primarily drafted Connor Heyward for particular groups, in addition they favored his versatile ability set. As a rookie, they used him in-line, within the slot, and even within the backfield. He not solely led as a blocker, however even took some carries, having a working again historical past on his resume.
Getting into the 2025 season, he’ll be fortunate to see 10 snaps per sport. One way or the other, he nonetheless managed to play simply over 200 snaps final 12 months, largely because of harm. MyCole Pruitt, whom Arthur Smith used as his third tight finish final 12 months, missed numerous video games, coinciding with extra snaps for Heyward.
This 12 months, the Steelers swapped out MyCole Pruitt for Jonnu Smith, a Professional Bowl tight finish. He joins Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, each of whom play key roles within the offense. In such a robust group, what’s left over for Connor Heyward? The reply is as apparent as it’s unsurprising: not a lot.
Even when the Steelers have been to transform Heyward to fullback, Jonnu Smith can even play out of the backfield. And over the course of his profession, he hasn’t proven himself to be some can’t-miss blocker within the first place. Except they all of a sudden have completely different concepts about the way to use him it will likely be laborious for him to search out snaps.
Simply logistically, there aren’t many alternatives. You’re going to have a working again on the sphere 99 p.c of the time, for starters. The Steelers will doubtless function heavy 12 personnel, possibly even important 13 personnel. However behind Freiermuth, Washington, and Smith, what number of snaps will he even see? He’s the fourth possibility in a gaggle that can function fewer than three on the sphere nearly all of the time. One can argue he ought to have performed over Pruitt final 12 months, however over Smith or Washington, Heyward has no case.
With the brand new league 12 months underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s as soon as once more time to “take inventory”. It took some time, however we lastly noticed a few of that change the group talked about after the season ended. Actually, the transfer to commerce for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, to not point out the accompanying contract. Oh, they usually additionally traded some man named George Pickens, which individuals discovered important.
There’s nonetheless an extended solution to go earlier than we all know what this Steelers group goes to seem like. The mud is settled on each free company and the 2025 NFL Draft. What different strikes may the group make, maybe sudden acquisitions or departures? In the event that they traded for one participant, they may actually commerce for one more, or commerce one away. It is a Steelers group ravenous for postseason success, however how determined are they for a playoff win in 2025?
