Going into the Patriots game, the Steelers draft needs beyond outside linebacker seemed unclear. The Patriots not only managed to beat the Steelers, but they also exposed their weaknesses.

The loss gave us a much clearer of what areas the Steelers must address in the offseason.

Pass Rush

The most obvious factor as well as the most important, the Steelers had virtually no pass rush against the Patriots.

Nobody should doubt that a new pass rusher should be the Steelers top priority this offseason. There’s a reason people call the city “Blitzburgh”: getting to the quarterback is a staple for this defense.

When they’re unable to, the Steelers tend to lose.

Whether we sign a player like Melvin Ingram from the Chargers, or draft a young player to develop, action must be taken. Pairing a young player to rotate with James Harrison seems like the best option for next season.

Bud Dupree didn’t impress during the Patriots game, but I still have faith in him. Dupree was hindered by missing the majority of training camp, and a large portion of the regular season. I believe with a healthy offseason, he can take the next step for the 2017 season.

Wide Receivers

The Patriots game completely changed my outlook for the Steelers wide receivers. Going into the game I believed we wouldn’t add any new talent to our group.

However, my mindset has completely changed.

I think the only wide receiver locks for this roster are Antonio Brown, Eli Rogers, and Martavis Bryant (assuming he stays clean).

The remaining players are Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Demarcus Ayers, and Cobi Hamilton.

I’m surprised to be listing Coates as a potential roster casualty, but he failed to significantly contribute this season, minus the first few games. He hasn’t shown much growth and it’s fair to wonder how high his ceiling really is, and if we can be more than a special teams guy.

Heyward-Bey is a great team player and is very valuable to special teams, but he has had little to no impact as a wide receiver this season.

Ayers and Hamilton seem to be in the same category. Young players that have flashed their talent over the course of the season. It’s notable though that Hamilton got a hat versus the Patriots over Ayers.

Before this week I also never considered resigning Markus Wheaton a serious option, but now I am suspecting it could be. Wheaton’s season was setback with injuries and he never really had a fair shot to show his talent. Considering the inconsistency on the depth chart, bringing back Wheaton would provide Ben will a valuable weapon who we know has the potential to be a playmaker.

The Steelers certainly may draft a wide receiver in the NFL draft as well. They have proven to be proficient at finding “diamond in the rough” wide receivers so grabbing a player in the mid rounds shouldn’t be out of the question.

Tight End

A surprising need going into the offseason may be tight end. There’s a stipulation with this though, this is assuming Ladarius Green gets cut or traded from the Steelers in the offseason.

The primary reason Green’s future in Pittsburgh is murky, is quite simple: concussions.

Dating back to last season, Green has had at least 3 concussions. Looking beyond football, that’s a scary amount for a young man. Plus with concussions, the more you get, the more susceptible you are to getting more. With Green, the Steelers may be best to just accept the sunk cost and part with him. Green is very talented, but he can’t contribute if he’s stuck on the bench with an injury.

(For what it’s worth, Green said in an interview that he hasn’t considered retirement, and is looking forward to playing next season.)

Jesse James has impressed lately, and played very admirably: but he isn’t a big play threat. Ye,s he is a reliable target and can make the occasional big play, but he’s not exactly the type of player you need to game plan around.

David Johnson and Xavier Grimble, though solid depth,  aren’t the answers either.

If the Steelers intend on moving on from Green, the Steelers certainly may spend a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick on a tight end.