Only two Steelers grace Pro Football Focus’ Top 50 players list
Whenever “best of” lists are compiled, naturally, Steelers Nation feels their players are among the “best”.
That could be true when looking at Pro Football Focus’ recently released Top 50 NFL players list. I immediately thought of a handful of Steelers who should be part of that ranking. And two of them made the list, but I was left shaking my head at some who did not.
First, let’s cover who made it.
Most accurate list of NFL's top talent. Nice job by peeps at @PFF. pic.twitter.com/fdS0Ul6Zu0
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) June 10, 2017
8. Antonio Brown
In all fairness, it’s kind of hard to argue Brown’s placement on this list. All of the players in the top ten are worthy of their position, which is based on projections for the upcoming 2017 season. Based on most comparisons, you could swap Julio Jones and Antonio Brown for one another. They are both excellent receivers who lead their franchises in all categories; a nudge toward Jones from a Super Bowl team, versus Brown who now must compete for targets with a returning Martavis Bryant, appears to be a fair assessment.
Odell Beckham Jr. clocks in at 17, while A.J. Green ranks 28th, and Mike Evans comes in at 33. Evans had the best numbers of the three in 2016, but will also compete with touches this season with newly acquired Buccaneer DeSean Jackson. Beckham may do the same with Brandon Marshall coming to the Big Apple as well as Green seeing first round draft pick John Ross opposite him in Cincinnati.
Regardless, if you were going to make a top five receivers list, it appears PFF gets it correct.
11. Le’Veon Bell
The most dominant running back in the game doesn’t even make the top ten list. I’m not sure how I feel about that over players who weren’t entirely healthy last season, such as J.J. Watt, Rob Gronkowski, and Luke Kuechly. Bell is also coming off of groin surgery and has only played a full season once (getting hurt in the regular season finale in 2014). That could make the case for leaving him out of the top ten, but I was equally surprised to see only two other running backs in the top 50: Arizona’s David Johnson (also returning from injury) and Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott.
As with any subjective list like this, it’s really a matter of “who cares?” Let’s just call Bell the best in the game (per this list) and be done with it, right?
Not so fast!
Where are all of the other Steelers?
Not on this list!
Last year the Steelers had five players selected to the Pro Bowl: Brown, Bell, Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, and David DeCastro. Of those five, only DeCastro played, with linebacker Ryan Shazier later added as an alternate.
Inside linebackers are largely ignored on PFF’s list. There’s the aforementioned Kuechly, Bobby Wagner and Sean Lee. That’s it. There’s a lot of love for edge rushers (designed “ED”) but nowhere is there love for Shazier, who had a breakout season with 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 9 passes defensed, and 55 solo tackles. He also forced three fumbles.
By comparison, Lee had no interceptions, one pass breakup, and 93 solo tackles (a byproduct of playing in a 4-3 versus Shazier in a 3-4). Lee also played 14 games to Shazier’s 13.
Kuechly’s numbers weren’t that impressive either. He had one interception, 71 tackles, a single forced fumble and six PBU’s.
Shazier belongs on the list.
A number of Cowboys offensive linemen make the top 50 including Travis Frederick, Tyron Smith, and Zack Martin. While Dallas sports an impressive line, it’s hard to believe that Pouncey and DeCastro were both snubbed. Worse, Ramon Foster, a PFF darling who was the highest graded Steeler of 2016, isn’t in the conversation either.
The @Steelers top graded players from 2016 pic.twitter.com/owZ1um7fZZ
— PFF (@PFF) June 10, 2017
Instead, Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas, ranked fifth (of 78) at his position climbs up to 27. Like the defense, it appears offense is heavily skewed toward the edge players (tackles) with the interior linemen (Pouncey, DeCastro, and Foster) left off.
The @Browns top graded players from 2016 pic.twitter.com/VLiE3lbHRx
— PFF (@PFF) June 10, 2017
In fact, only one center made the list, and it was Dallas’, Frederick…
In all, we know the Steelers have an arsenal of players at their disposal. Perhaps Cameron Heyward, who is always among the sack leaders and a force on the defensive line, or Bud Dupree, who set the world on fire when he returned from injury midseason, could be in consideration based on “potential”. However, I feel the biggest snub continues to be the highly disregarded Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben had some ups and downs throughout 2016 but lost out on a spot in the top 50 to Tom Brady (3rd), Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, Colts QB Andrew Luck, and Saints QB Drew Brees.
In Pittsburgh, there’s no way we feel Roethlisberger isn’t in the discussion of top five quarterbacks!
