It’s been almost a week since the legal tampering period started, and the Pittsburgh Steelers roster is still far from a finished product. That’s normal at this time of year with the draft still upcoming, but the Steelers [only have six draft picks at their disposal](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/03/here-are-the-pittsburgh-steelers-2025-nfl-draft-picks/) as it stands right now following the DK Metcalf trade.
That increases the urgency for the team to address some of their needs in free agency, and there are still three positions I’d like to see the team address in some fashion before the 2025 NFL Draft.
### Defensive Line
This is the obvious, no-brainer positional need. It’s a deep defensive line class, and the Steelers will still likely address the D-line early in the draft. But the Steelers still need to add depth to the line. A reunion with Isaiahh Loudermilk isn’t out of the question, but the Steelers could do more. Could they take a chance on former Lions DL John Cominsky coming off an injury? Or maybe the team could look to former first-round pick Jerry Tillery.
There’s no slam-dunk option out there, but it’s a position that’s incredibly thin right now, and it’s a tough position for the team if they have to rely heavily on a rookie to play the majority of snaps. Adding a veteran or two to solidify their depth, as they did when they signed Dean Lowry last off-season, is something that should happen sooner rather than later.
### Offensive Tackle
The Steelers need a swing tackle. Calvin Anderson played that role last season following Troy Fautanu’s injury, but he’s a free agent. There’s certainly a chance he could come back, but the Steelers need someone behind Broderick Jones and Fautanu. Jones will be a primary left tackle for the first time in his career and Fautanu’s rookie season was limited to just one game, so ideally, the Steelers bring in an experienced veteran who can also be somewhat of a mentor.
Former Steeler Chris Hubbard could be an option, although he struggled mightily against the team last year as a member of the New York Giants and wouldn’t be my personal choice. The best option out there might be Fred Johnson, who spent time with the Steelers in 2019 and started six games for the Eagles last year. Outside of Johnson, the names available aren’t super intriguing – former first-round pick Andre Dillard could be an option, as could former Rams OT Joe Noteboom, who only played four games last season while dealing with an ankle injury.
### Safety
Right now, the Steelers’ depth behind DeShon Elliott and Minkah Fitzpatrick consists of Ryan Watts, who suffered a severe neck injury last preseason and [whose status seems to be up in the air](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/he-had-a-significant-injury-omar-khan-uncertain-on-s-ryan-watts-future/), and reserve/futures signing Joshuah Bledsoe, as well as special teams ace Miles Killebrew. There are some decent veteran options out there for depth, including K’Von Wallace, who also could have a role on special teams, as well as Quandre Diggs, who is coming off a Lisfranc injury.
Like with the defensive line, the Steelers shouldn’t put themselves in a position where they may need to rely on a rookie, and for a safety, likely a late-round rookie, to potentially have to play significant snaps. One injury to Elliott or Fitzpatrick could lead to whoever the third safety is stepping up into a starting role, and the Steelers should protect themselves by adding a reliable veteran.
### BONUS – EDGE
The Steelers are set at EDGE right now with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, but if a veteran EDGE, like say, Matthew Judon, remains unsigned and could be had on the cheap, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Steelers tried to take a flier, similar to what they did with Markus Golden two years ago. Of course, getting a veteran to agree to be OLB4 might be a challenge, but it could be a good way to help bolster Pittsburgh’s pass rush.
But given that the Steelers have a solid top three, and Malik Harrison could function as a backup outside linebacker if really needed, it also wouldn’t be a surprise if the Steelers waited and selected someone like Johnny Walker out of Missouri or Elijah Ponder out of Cal Poly late in the draft.