3 overrated Pittsburgh Steelers from the 2022 season
The Pittsburgh Steelers have some quality performances from veterans in 2022, but there are three overrated players who are getting more credit than they deserve. We all know that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of upgrades for their roster if they want to compete for the Super Bowl in the near future.
The Steelers spent a lot of money in free agency last season, but the changes to their roster weren't as drastic as we'd hoped. While some of the additions are great, others still look like replaceable players as we head into the 2023 season. Here are three overrated Steelers players heading into the 2022 season.
#3. Levi Wallace, Cornerback
Levi Wallace signed a very smart two-year, $8 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason, so I certainly can’t complain or say that he didn’t earn his keep. However, we think that some are making Wallace out to be a better player than he actually is. The four interceptions he recorded last year were admittedly nice, but that’s just one part of his work.
Wallace was inconsistent in coverage and was beaten often by faster receivers. As a result, he gave up 650 yards and a cringe-worthy 15.9 yards per reception last season. This resulted in an unspectacular 59.3 coverage grade from PFF. Wallace is a solid football player, but it’s naive to believe that Pittsburgh doesn’t need to upgrade at the Cornerback position.
#2. Larry Ogunjobi, Defensive Tackle
When the Steelers signed Larry Ogunjobi to a one-year, $8 million deal after his contract with the Bears fell through last offseason, many thought that Pittsburgh was getting an excellent deal.
Steelers fans thought that Ogunjobi would offer similar production this past season with Cincinnati Bengals (7.0 sacks, 12 tfl, 16 qb hits), but that didn’t prove to be the case. Despite starting 16 games for Pittsburgh, Ogunjobi managed just 1.5 sacks and 7 tackles for a loss.
What’s worse is that Ogunjobi is supposed to do his best work as an interior pass rusher. However, he struggled to generate any sort of consistent pressure for most of the season. This was reflected in his underwhelming 57.5 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus during the 2022 season. As a run defender, Larry Ogunjobi was washed out of plays too often.
#1. Myles Jack, Linebacker
In our opinion, Myles Jack was the team's most overrated player last season. The Pittsburgh Steelers gave Jack a sizable contract during the 2022 offseason following a disappointing season for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, Jack didn't provide much that other average Steelers linebackers couldn't.
Myles Jack struggled against the run and was ineffective in pass coverage, despite being decent when rushing from the interior. In fact, Jack's defense allowed more than a 107 passer rating for the second consecutive season. As a result, the Steelers occasionally removed him from the field in clear-cut passing circumstances.
The results may not have pleased the team either, as Jack's snap count significantly dropped over the final three games of the 2022 campaign. Myles Without a doubt, Jack deserves a spot on the roster, but it's impossible to justify contributing $11.25 million to the salary cap for him in 2023. He currently survives solely on his reputation.
