5 years agoThe Pittsburgh Steelers, as a defensive unit, head into the 2019 season anxious to put the previous year behind them. There have been many seasons when the word 'Steelers' was synonymous with 'defense'. But in 2018 , too often was it synonymous with 'mediocre' as they allowed 270-plus passing yards to eight different quarterbacks and multiple touchdown passes nine different times. They still were able to stop the run, at times, but their secondary struggled mightily in the first half of the season. They allowed nine touchdowns to receivers through their first six games, including four 100-yard receiving games during that span. Heading into 2019, the Steelers will look towards two keys to their defensive success: their pass rush and the development of their young players. Pittsburgh tied for first last season with 52 sacks but the secondary could only come up with eight interceptions all season, ranking near the bottom of the league. But the hopeful progression of second-year safety Terrell Edmunds, coupled with established players like Stephen Tuitt and T.J. Watt, this defense could be turning the corner. The fact they traded up and drafted sideline-to-sideline tackling machine Devin Bush should provide another young, athletic player on the rise for the Steelers in 2019. Fantasy owners should not be racing to draft boards to pick up the Steelers come draft day but they will certainly become an intriguing matchup-based find in 2019.--Joey C - RotoBaller
Source: Pittsburgh Steelers