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The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed all of their draft picks from the fourth round on from the 2021 NFL draft. Because their top three picks have yet to be signed, two of the six players currently fall in the top 51 salaries for the Steelers. Since that is the case, it’s a great time to give a salary cap update.
The salary cap numbers and contracts for all players drafted by the Steelers have been previously known. Even the contracts for the players who have yet to sign as well as those already under contract can be seen here:
Ray-Ray McCloud
When you look at the above names, you mentally imagine them playing specific positions within the structured offense.
Claypool’s dominant rookie season has him expected to start at one of the outside receiver positions, labeled the X or Z. Diontae Johnson seems built for the slot, the Y position, but he has had more snaps on the outside since coming into the league. James Washington is predominantly known to play the X or Z positions, and Ray-Ray McCloud is someone who can play anywhere, but primarily in the slot.
Then there is JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Smith-Schuster can play anywhere, but has done the most damage in his young NFL career from the slot. When Antonio Brown was harassing defensive backs on the perimeter, it was Smith-Schuster who was abusing nickel cornerbacks, linebackers and safeties from the slot.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers were in dire straits entering the 2021 season, as it pertains to their salary cap situation. They weren’t alone, but they had to do things they had never done, like add void years into contracts, but they were able to navigate the uncomfortable space and retain several of their own free agents.
The hope is the salary cap, which dipped for the first time in league history in 2021, will rebound in a big way in 2022. And if those projections are true, the Steelers could find themselves on the better side of the financial ledger. A recent report, based on projections, from the All Sports Culture, has the Steelers with the most salary cap space in the league.