The heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs through the defense and more specifically the defensive line. 

One of the strengths of the team, the outside linebackers (T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith) are sack artists that bring life to the unit. 

But according to The Athletic, the team's top remaining need is outside linebacker depth. 

Mark Kaboly covers the Pittsburgh Steelers for The Athletic. When tasked with naming the top remaining need on the Steelers roster, Kaboly said the following:

"For the most part, new general manager Omar Khan did a good job of filling some glaring holes in the Steelers’ roster during free agency, allowing them to act freely during the draft. One position they have yet to address that needs depth help is outside linebacker — which seems like a yearly occurrence now. They have T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith entrenched in the two starting spots but really nothing of note behind them with experience (Quincy Roche and Jamir Jones). Now, they have been linked to their former first-round pick Bud Dupree, who was released by the Titans. If healthy and willing and able to play 20 snaps per game, he’d be a perfect fit. If not, the Steelers will find a veteran after the draft like they did with Melvin Ingram and Malik Reed the past two seasons."

Kaboly makes a great point in my opinion. When T.J. Watt went down last season with his partially torn pec, there was an emphasis placed on Alex Highsmith to step up and provide the missing sack production. 

Highsmith answered the call, recording 14.5 sacks and playing in all 17 games, proving to be both durable and reliable in his third year out of Charlotte. 

But that's only one outside linebacker, with stop-gap position players filling in for Watt and failing to provide even a tidbit of the production the former NFL defensive MVP is known for. 

And that would be a tall task for any player, but that's not the point of Kaboly's blurb.

The idea he's trying to get across is that the Steelers can ill afford to have another injury situation similar to the one they had in 2022 at outside linebacker. 

While some may point to the draft, the Steelers have more pressing needs at the top, with later-round picks likely incapable of producing early in their career.

That means hitting the veteran market, potentially adding some late free agent depth, at affordable prices. 

Two names that fit the bill:

Yannick Ngakoue
Jadeveon Clowney

Both are stable veterans that could provide suitable support in a pinch. 

Oh and how about a potential reunion with Bud Dupree?

If the price is right, Pittsburgh would do well to give these three a call.