Top 5 Pittsburgh Steelers players for the 2022 season
The Pittsburgh Steelers were a disaster at the start of the season. They lacked numerous crucial players and were out of rhythm on both sides of the field. Thankfully, they managed to right the ship before it entirely sank.
Following their Week 9 bye, Mike Tomlin led his team to a 7-2 record as they appeared to get better all around. Pittsburgh may not have made the playoffs, but a number of outstanding individual efforts helped them catch up late and provided them great momentum going into the summer.
Below are the top five players on the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, excluding injured players.
#5. Cameron Sutton, Cornerback
For years, Cameron Sutton has been regarded as a good player, but we hardly ever discuss him as one of the team's top five players. Although T.J. Watt's injury, which prevented him from playing for half of the season, propelled Sutton to this list for the first time.
Sutton was a standout in coverage despite mediocre and uneven cornerback play all around him. The shrewd veteran makes quarterbacks pay with extraordinary instincts and superior ball skills rather than elite size, length, or speed.
Despite appearing in 15 of the season's 17 games, Sutton concluded the 2022 campaign with career highs in passes defended (15) and interceptions (3). He was one of the team's most reliable performers this season.
#4. George Pickens, Wide Reciever
Although the wide receiver, 21, still has a ways to go, what he brought to this club was crucial to their offense. Pickens immediately became a bright spot in the receiving game while Diontae Johnson and the rest of the wide receiving group battled to be effective and reliable.
Pickens had 9.5 yards per target, which placed him 13th in the League despite a sluggish offense. The fact that youngster Kenny Pickett and unspectacular veteran quarterback Mitch Trubisky combined to target him with a passer rating of 109.3 is even more impressive. These two, in contrast, had a total passer rating of 76.6 while passing to Pat Freiermuth and 58.8 when aiming at Diontae Johnson.
Fans were certain that Pickens would reel in the ball if it came within his reach because he was clearly a beast at the catch point. The young wide receiver still needs a lot of practice running routes, but I believe he was the team's fourth-best player overall in 2022, and his future is bright.
#3. Cameron Heyward, Defensive tackle
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cameron Heyward had yet another outstanding season. He voiced his disappointment at not being named to the First Team All-Pro in 2022. He probably would have if it weren't for a particularly formidable group of interior defenders at the top of the ranking.
Heyward kept up his impressive rate and registered 10.5 sacks for the Steelers last season. Despite T.J. Watt not being there to relieve strain, he was still able to accomplish this. It's also important to note how difficult the remainder of the interior defensive line found it.
But Heyward continues to be one of the team's most dependable and dominant performers. The defensive turnaround in the second half of the season was greatly aided by the seasoned captain. According to Pro Football Focus, Heyward, who is 33 years old, received the 5th best overall score among interior defenders.
#2. Alex Highsmith, Outside linebacker
This season, Alex Highsmitha produced exceptional sack totals and enhanced his all-around performance as a run defender and pass rusher. In his third NFL season, he became a pillar of this defense because of both his dependability and his capacity for playmaking.
Some felt the energetic pass defender should have been recognized for his performance in the Pro Bowl because he was frequently found all over the field. Highsmith still had a poor pass-rush win percentage this season, which means he wasn't entering the backfield frequently enough. That is my only criticism of him.
A portion of this might be attributable to the volume of plays he was required to play and the fact that he played without T.J. Watt for the first half of the season. In any case, I believed Highsmith was outstanding this year and deserving of recognition as one of the Steelers 2022 team's finest players.
#1. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Safety
Minkah Fitzpatrick was the finest Pittsburgh Steelers player in 2022. After a significant decline in 2021, when there weren't nearly as many big plays, Minkah put all doubts to rest with what was probably his best season in his five-year career.
With six interceptions, 94 interception return yards, 11 passes intercepted, and a defensive score, Fitzpatrick led the league. He was the only member of the Steelers to be named to the First Team All-Pro in 2022 as a consequence of his efforts.
Minkah has now received this distinction three times, putting him on course to enter the Hall of Fame. Due to his amazing season, the outstanding safety was also voted the Steelers Team MVP.
The deal Pittsburgh made to acquire him right before the 2019 trade deadline is beginning to seem better and better. In the league, Minkah Fitzpatrick is the finest at his position and a true cornerstone player.
