The Pittsburgh Steelers offense saw a huge transition with the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. No one expected this offense to be good but this group showed steady improvement during the season. Here are our seven best offensive players from the 2022 season.
1-G James Daniels
The Steelers signed James Daniels as a free agent from the Chicago Bears and he was easily the most consistent offensive lineman on the team. Daniels got better and better as the season went on and was downright dominant in the final few games when the run game was at its best.
2-RB Najee Harris
Everything changed for running back Najee Harris during the bye week. Harris was on the way to a disappointing season but committed to himself, made some changes to his running style and was as good as any back in the league in the final month of the season.
3-WR George Pickens
George Pickens gets the nod here because he brought something to this offense it hadn’t seen in a long time. His ability to make every catch winnable regardless of the situation was absolutely spectacular and despite only 52 receptions, the 801 yards and four receiving touchdowns puts him at third.
4-QB Kenny Pickett
No one knew if Kenny Pickett would be ready as a rookie. At first, it felt like maybe he wasn’t. But the coaching staff stuck with Pickett and it paid off. Pickett looked like a calm, poised veteran down the stretch and scored two game-winning drives in the team’s final three games of the season.
5-WR Diontae Johnson
It was an up-and-down season for Diontae Johnson after signing his huge new contract. On the good side, Johnson did finish the season with 86 receptions and 882 which is respectable. But getting zero touchdowns was puzzling.
6-C Mason Cole
If James Daniels was the most improved offensive lineman on the team in 2022, center Mason Cole was right behind him. Cole was also signed as a free agent to upgrade the line and he did just that. Excellent leadership from the center position.
7-TE Pat Freiermuth
Pat Freiermuth really stepped up his game in 2022 and once Pickett and OC Matt Canada figured out how to use him, his production took off. Freiermuth almost single-handedly opened up the middle of the field for the Steelers offense and his 63 receptions were second-best on the team and his 732 receiving yards were third-best in 2022.
