The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis gets underway next, checking off another box in the league’s fast-moving offseason calendar.
For now, things are moving slowly as teams get up to speed with prospects, formulating plans for free agency ahead of the start of the new league year, and more.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still getting familiar with their new head coach and coaching staff. Here at Steelers Depot, we continue to roll along in our offseason series of Ranking The Steelers’ Starters Post-Season edition.
Today, we’ll look at No. 9-7.
So far, I have covered No. 24-22, No. 21-19, and No. 18-16. You can also read No. 15-13 here. No. 12-10 can be found here, too. Check all five of those out to better understand today’s rankings.
As a reminder, here’s how the list looked from No. 24-1 ahead of training camp.
No. 24 — Broderick Jones, LT
No. 23 — Troy Fautanu, RT
No. 22 — Calvin Austin III, WR
No. 21 — Cameron Johnston, P
No. 20 — Derrick Harmon, DE
No. 19 — Mason McCormick, RG
No. 18 — Keeanu Benton, NT
No. 17 — Darius Slay, CB
No. 16 — Jaylen Warren, RB
No. 15 — Payton Wilson, ILB
No. 14 — Patrick Queen, ILB
No. 13 — Aaron Rodgers, QB
No. 12 — Pat Freiermuth, TE
No. 11 — Joey Porter Jr., CB
No. 10 — Jonnu Smith, TE
No. 9 — Isaac Seumalo, LG
No. 8 — Jalen Ramsey, DB
No. 7 — DK Metcalf, WR
No. 6 — DeShon Elliott, S
No. 5 — Zach Frazier, C
No. 4 — Alex Highsmith, OLB
No. 3 — Chris Boswell, K
No. 2 — T.J. Watt, OLB
No. 1 — Cameron Heyward, DE
Here’s how the list looks coming out of the season to this point.
No. 24 — Darius Slay, CB
No. 23 — Corliss Waitman, P
No. 22 — Jonnu Smith, TE
No. 21 — Calvin Austin III, WR
No. 20 — Broderick Jones, LT
No. 19 — Keeanu Benton, NT
No. 18 — Pat Freiermuth, TE
No. 17 — Payton Wilson, ILB
No. 16 — Patrick Queen, ILB
No. 15 — Mason McCormick, RG
No. 14 — Jaylen Warren, RB
No. 13 — Jalen Ramsey, DB
No. 12 — Derrick Harmon, DL
No. 11 — Isaac Seumalo, LG
No. 10 — Aaron Rodgers, QB
Today, we’ll take a look at the top 10, ranking No. 9-7.
No. 9 — DESHON ELLIOTT, S
DeShon Elliott signed a contract extension ahead of the 2025 season and was set to be a major piece of the defense, especially in the secondary after the Steelers traded Minkah Fitzpatrick. Alas, in the season opener Elliott suffered the first of two knee injuries. That one sidelined him until the Week 4 game in Dublin, in which he returned and made an impact.
Less than four weeks later, Elliott was on the shelf for good following another knee injury, this time against the Green Bay Packers on a broken play. Outside of the two knee injuries, Elliott was pretty good when on the field. He played just 281 snaps, but he graded out at a 67.8 overall from Pro Football Focus. He recorded three pressures and a sack, had an interception in his return against the Vikings and was a stabilizing presence in the secondary.
After he went down, it was rather noteworthy just how much the defense struggled at all three levels. He’s a very good player and with some health on his side next season should return to being the big-time piece defensively for the Steelers.
No. 8 — DK METCALF, WR
The hype surrounding the acquisition of DK Metcalf in the offseason was huge, and it created some unfair expectations. Yes, the Steelers swung big on Metcalf and gave him a massive extension, and yes he found the end zone six times and generated nearly 15 yards per catch. But he wasn’t exactly that No. 1 receiver many were expecting.
Metcalf’s stats were a bit underwhelming with just 59 receptions for 850 yards and those six touchdowns. He also had some major drops issues with five on the season. He also had a major one in the playoff loss to Houston that seemed to swing momentum in the Texans’ favor.
There was also the incident with the Detroit Lions fan that led to a two-game suspension to close the season, dealing a blow to Pittsburgh’s offense. With Mike McCarthy the head coach now, hopefully Metcalf can be unlocked properly in Pittsburgh.
No. 7 — TROY FAUTANU, RT
Expectations were high entering Year 2 for Troy Fautanu, especially after he flashed in limited action as a rookie before being lost for the season with an injury. Safe to say, Fautanu lived up to those expectations, even with a tough showing in the playoff loss to the Texans.
Fautanu played 1,088 snaps on the season, allowed just 31 pressures and three sacks, and was called for just three penalties. His hand usage and footwork at the position showed up time and again, allowing him to play at a high level much of the season. His Pro Football Focus grade of just 67.0 overall might not reflect it, but Fautanu was a good player up front all year.
Now, with a new offensive line coach tandem in James Campen and Jahri Evans, Fautanu is set to take another leap in Year 3. He’s one of the better young right tackles in football, and pairs with Mason McCormick to form a good right side of the offensive line in the Steel City.
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