Busts on the Pittsburgh Steelers

Busts can ruin your fantasy team's drive to a championship. Our staff searches for them on the Steelers.

Footballguys Staff's Busts on the Pittsburgh Steelers Footballguys Staff Published 08/01/2025

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As we race toward August, Footballguys.com will examine one team per weekday with our quick-hitting Team Sleepers feature. These players might not be complete busts, but we will be highlighting players our staff thinks will disappoint this year and underperform their average draft position (ADP).

Go Deeper: See in-depth projections for every Steelers player here >>>

Please note that our staff has identified the players listed below. The official Footballguys stance for every Steeler can be found on our projections page.

Busts on the Pittsburgh Steelers

Reasons TE Jonnu Smith Could Be a Bust

  • Jason Wood: Smith is a journeyman with a ton of mediocre and forgettable seasons, and now finds himself on a team with another proven, incumbent tight end in Pat Freiermuth. Drafting Smith as a starter makes zero sense, regardless of format. 
  • Maurile Tremblay: His ADP bakes in last year's stats, but a crowded TE room and low passing volume make a repeat nearly impossible.
  • Jeff Blaylock: He's being overvalued after a career year in Miami, where TE2 Julian Hill amassed all of 19 targets. Pat Freiermuth is not Julian Hill, and Smith will not be a fantasy TE1. 
  • Jeff Haseley: I am not expecting to see consistent production from Smith that would make him a fantasy starter. I expect a lot of rushing, and with two capable tight ends, the receiving volume will be shared.
  • David Zacharias: Smith must compete with Pat Freiermuth for the meager tight end target crumbs in Arthur Smith's run-first offense.
  • Craig Lakins: We saw peak Jonnu Smith last season in Miami. His current ADP reflects that, but that's not the Smith we're going to get in Pittsburgh this season. 
  • Colton Dodgson: I'm disappointed we didn't get to see Smith run it back with Miami. Shout-out to Arthur Smith and his oddly strong personnel influence for taking that from us. Smith Squared has a low floor and ceiling.
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