Steelers young core doesn’t impress ESPN

The last two NFL drafts have been great for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have yielded a ton of young talent, especially on the offensive and defensive line. But when it comes to the Steelers core of stars, this team might be more old than many realize.

ESPN ranked all 32 NFL teams based on their best players under the age of 25 and unfortunately for the Steelers, they checked in at No. 20, which is up five spots from last season.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about Pittsburgh’s ranking:

The Steelers graduated a starting offensive tackle, Moore, from this list, but he probably won’t have a starting job this season anyway after posting an 87.5% PBWR and 73.8% RBWR. Instead, younger and higher-drafted talents will man the tackle spots, with Jones and first-round pick Troy Fautanu at age 23.

Center Zach Frazier is also 23 and will start as a rookie. At wide receiver, 23-year-old Pickens takes over as the unchallenged No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh after having 1,140 receiving yards in 2023. Also age 23: rookie slot receiver Roman Wilson, nose tackle Keeanu Benton and second tight end Darnell Washington. The one exception when it comes to talent under 25 is No. 1 cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who turns 24 in late July.

10 of the Steelers projected starters between offense, defense and special teams are at least 28 years old while seven projected starters are 25 or younger.

More Steelers Wire News!