The Pittsburgh Steelers have needs.
Despite making a run to the 2023 NFL Playoffs, the team has a lot of positions they need to address during the 2024 offseason.
The quarterback situation gets the majority of the attention, but the team also needs help at multiple spots on the O-Line. The team needs a cornerback to line up opposite Joey Porter Jr. They also need another inside linebacker.
With the East-West Shrine Bowl coming up, the Steelers have a chance to start meeting with prospects that can fix their issues.
One of those prospects seems to have left a good impression on the team.
Former Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper spoke to Steelers Depot’s Josh Carney and revealed that his meeting with the Steelers went very well.
Cooper said, “You know, they’re very interested. Yeah, I can’t reveal much, but they’re definitely interested.”
Cooper is coming off of an accolade-filled final season at A&M and would fill one of the needs the team knows they need to address during the offseason.
Cooper’s Impressive 2023 Season
The 2023 season was a big disappointment for the Texas A&M Aggies.
They started the season ranked in the top 25, but failed to beat a single ranked opponent and ended up with a 7-6 record. They fired Jimbo Fisher in the middle of the season.
None of the struggles slowed Cooper down.
Cooper was incredibly impressive in 2023. He racked up 84 total tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles.
As a result of his dominance, Cooper earned All-American and First Team All-SEC honors this past season.
His play has made the former Aggie the 2024 NFL Draft’s top prospect at linebacker.
That should make the Steelers very interested in the promising prospect as the team could definitely use an upgrade at linebacker to fill during the offseason.
Steelers Need Help at Linebacker
The Steelers had some linebacker issues during the 2023 season.
Elandon Roberts played well at inside linebacker, but the team had a tough time finding somebody to line up alongside him, especially after Kwon Alexander was injured.
That deficiency led to some issues covering tight ends, which was on full display in the playoff loss to the Bills as the team allowed 68 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.
The team was also below average when it came to stopping the run. They allowed the league’s 14th most yards per carry.
The biggest issue at the position was a lack of depth.
When Roberts was forced to miss Week 17 with an injury, the team was forced to turn to options like Myles Jack and Blake Martinez.
Jack played well enough that he could find himself back on the Steelers’ roster in 2024, but Martinez had retired in 2022 and Jack wasn’t expecting to play football again before the Steelers came calling.
The team has to get a boost in the middle of their defense if they’re expecting to continue competing in the NFL’s toughest division.
Grabbing an All-American in the second round of the 2024 draft would strengthen the starting lineup and help with the team’s depth issue at the position.
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SEC Star Says Steelers Are ‘Very Interested’ in Him After Shrine Bowl Meeting