In the blink of an eye, we’ve gone from the NFL Draft, OTAs and minicamp to the brink of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

An exciting year lies ahead for the Black and Gold after a busy offseason of change with a new head coach, a nearly entirely new coaching staff, and more than 30 new players joining the roster.

But before things gets underway in Latrobe, it’s time to wrap up the 2026 offseason with the Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series. Today, we’ll close it with No. 3-1.

If you missed the first seven parts you can view No. 24-22 to No. 6-4 below.

Ranking The Steelers’ Starters: No. 24-22
Ranking The Steelers’ Starters: No. 21-19
Ranking The Steelers’ Starters: No. 18-16
Ranking The Steelers’ Starters: No. 15-13
Ranking The Steelers’ Starters: No. 12-10 
Ranking The Steelers’ Starters: No. 9-7
Ranking The Steelers’ Starters: No. 6-4

Here is my projected Steelers starting lineup, kicker and punter included, for the regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

*Italics indicate the player has been covered in the series. 

OFFENSE

QB — Aaron Rodgers 
RB — Jaylen Warren 
WR — DK Metcalf 
WR — Michael Pittman Jr. 
WR — Germie Bernard
TE — Darnell Washington 
LT — Troy Fautanu 
LG — Mason McCormick 
C — Zach Frazier
RG — Spencer Anderson 
RT — Dylan Cook

DEFENSE

DE — Cameron Heyward 
NT — Keeanu Benton 
DE — Derrick Harmon 
OLB — Alex Highsmith 
ILB — Patrick Queen
ILB — Payton Wilson 
OLB — T.J. Watt
CB — Jamel Dean
CB — Joey Porter Jr. 
S — Jalen Ramsey
S — DeShon Elliott

SPECIAL TEAMS

K — Chris Boswell
P — Cameron Johnston 

Here’s how the Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series looks so far.

No. 24 — Cameron Johnston, P
No. 23 — Germie Bernard, WR 
No. 22 — Spencer Anderson, RG
No. 21 — Dylan Cook, RT
No. 20 — Keeanu Benton, NT 
No. 19 — Payton Wilson, ILB 
No. 18 — Patrick Queen, ILB
No. 17 — Jaylen Warren, RB 
No. 16 — Darnell Washington, TE 
No. 15 — Aaron Rodgers, QB
No. 14 — Mason McCormick, LG 
No. 13 — Derrick Harmon, DE 
No. 12 — Jalen Ramsey, S 
No. 11 — Michael Pittman Jr., WR 
No. 10 — DeShon Elliott, S 
No. 9 — DK Metcalf, WR
No. 8 — Jamel Dean, CB
No. 7 — Troy Fautanu, LT 
No. 6 — Alex Highsmith, OLB
No. 5 — Joey Porter Jr., CB
No. 4 — T.J. Watt, OLB

Without further ado, let’s dive into the top three and close out the series here at Steelers Depot.

No. 3 — CHRIS BOSWELL, K

Though his field goal percentage dipped from nearly 94 to 84.4 last season, Chris Boswell remains one of the best — if not the best — kickers in football. Boswell drilled 27-of-32 field goals last season, continuing to prove he’s as dependable as they come in the NFL. 

While he missed a key extra point in the Week 18 finale against the Baltimore Ravens that kept the door open late in the game, it’s hard to find any real knocks against Boswell at this point in his career. He’s gone from a late signing due to injury in 2015 to the top of the rankings among kickers.

Boswell is also armed with a new contract extension signed this offseason, tying him for the highest-paid kicker in football. He’s earned every penny of it. New special teams coordinator Danny Crossman can rest easy knowing he has a star at kicker who converts at a high rate.

No. 2 — ZACH FRAZIER, C

Zach Frazier is quietly working his way into the discussion of the best centers in football.

The former second-round pick is a stalwart along the Steelers’ offensive line. For the second straight year, Frazier played more than 1,000 snaps, and he continued to find his voice and grow into a leadership role. Frazier played 1,085 snaps in 2025 and finished with an overall grade of 73.8 from Pro Football Focus. 

He allowed just 11 pressures and one sack, was called for four penalties, and was a terrific communicator in the trenches. He earned high praise from quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the season, too, as the arrow continues to point straight up.

Now, with a pair of new offensive line coaches in James Campen and Jahri Evans in the fold, the expectation is Frazier takes another significant step forward, especially with all the moving parts around him. He’s currently the only projected starter remaining in his spot from last season, so a lot will rest on his shoulders.

But he’s very clearly on his way to becoming the next great Steelers center and should put himself in the discussion of best center in football this season, too.

No. 1 — CAMERON HEYWARD, DE

There will be no snubbing Cameron Heyward on this list, unlike what occurred from ESPN a few days ago.

Fresh off yet another All-Pro season, Heyward remains the cream of the crop. Despite his sack production dropping to 3.5 from 8.0 in 2024, Heyward remained a true force last season. He generated 50 QB pressures, added another 42 run stops, and was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded NFL defensive lineman, finishing ahead of the second-highest graded player by nearly two full points.

Yes, he’s getting up there in age, and Father Time is inevitable, but Heyward, 37, is winning that fight in a landslide and shows no signs of slowing down. He enters the 2026 season with a new contract extension, has an improved defensive line room around him, and will be counted on to lead once again, this time under a new defensive coordinator.

Doubt Heyward out at your own peril.