3 Steelers to Watch for in Hall of Fame Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers got off to as good a start as it gets in 2020, opening the year with 11 straight wins. But the wheels quickly began to fall off after that. Pittsburgh limped into the postseason, going 1-4 down the stretch before getting eviscerated by the Cleveland Browns, 48-37, in the Wild Card Round.

The organization got a much-needed injection of youth this offseason, though. And if the Steelers hope to keep pace in the ultra-competitive AFC North, Pittsburgh will need those youngsters to be contributors right away.

Here are three young Steelers to keep a close eye on in tonight's Hall of Fame game against the Dallas Cowboys.

3. Kendrick Green, IOL

The Steelers' offensive line was atrocious in 2020. No projected starter received a grade above 66.2 from ProFootballFocus last year, and PFF also ranked the group as the second-worst run blocking unit in the league. As a result, the team fielded its worst rushing attack in years, producing an NFL-worst 1,351 yards on the ground. The organization spent a third-round pick on interior linemen Kendrick Green to hopefully address those issues, and it seems like he's got a real chance to start at center. A strong preseason could help him solidify his spot in an OL that could really use some help.

2. Pat Freiermuth, Tight End

The Steelers selected Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth with their second-round pick. The move was a bit of a head-scratcher. That's nothing against Freiermuth, who was regarded as an excellent tight end prospect. But if there was one position Pittsburgh seemingly didn't need to address in the draft, it was pass-catcher, as the team already had a host of talented young receivers and a starting-level TE in Eric Ebron. Still, Freiermuth has already been turning heads with his reportedly impressive play at training camp. A strong preseason could help the Penn State TE push Ebron for snaps right away. If he pans out, he'd give Pittsburgh one of the best young receiving corps in the league for the foreseeable future.

1. Alex Highsmith, EDGE

Pittsburgh lost a big-time contributor in Bud Dupree, who tore his ACL in Week 11. His replacement, Alex Highsmith, performed exceptionally well in his absence. The 23-year-old didn't play enough snaps to qualify, but he would've finished the league's seventh-best pass-rush win rate (24%) – one spot higher than Chase Young. While he looked destined to retain that starting spot opposite of T.J. Watt, the Steelers elected to sign three-time Pro Bowler Melvin Ingram in free agency. Now, it's entirely possible, maybe even likely, that Highsmith is relegated to that No. 3 role he began the season in last year. He'll be a very important name to watch tonight. If he doesn't play much, that could be a sign that Pittsburgh has big plans for him in 2020. If he does get time, he'll need to shine in order to push Ingram for snaps this season.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.