NFL analyst expands on why 2024 Steelers could win AFC North

NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks raised eyebrows when he recently suggested that the Steelers will be "the cream of the crop in the AFC North" by the end of the 2024 regular season. 

Brooks expanded on why he believes Pittsburgh is the biggest threat to the Baltimore Ravens regarding the upcoming division race during the latest edition of the "Move the Sticks" podcast. 

"I'm gonna say the Steelers because I love the fact that they threw resources at the offensive line," Brooks explained, according to Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "They went and got three, I would say, rock solid players to be able to do it...those guys stick to the identity. [Offensive coordinator] Arthur Smith and how he's committed to being able to run the football and do those things." 

The 2023 Steelers earned a playoff berth with a 10-7 regular-season record before the organization made dramatic changes to its offense to go along with the hiring of Smith. Specifically, Pittsburgh acquired Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, West Virginia center Zach Frazier and South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick during the 2024 NFL Draft last month. 

Fautanu and Frazier should be Week 1 starters. Ahead of this past weekend, Adam Bittner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that he "wouldn't at all be surprised if" McCormick, a fourth-round pick, is "ready to start by 2025." 

Additionally, the Steelers now have veteran Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback and 25-year-old Justin Fields as Wilson's backup. Pittsburgh isn't committed to either signal-caller beyond the 2024 campaign, and it's assumed that head coach Mike Tomlin believes Wilson or Fields will thrive playing in Smith's run-heavy offense, featuring Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris as the primary ball carriers. 

"I just think they've done a really good job of finding players that fit who they are," Brooks added. "One of the biggest challenges of scouting and building your team is knowing who you are and then drafting people to that brand. They've done that, and I think that's why they're gonna be able to close the gap." 

As of early Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Ravens as the betting favorites at +115 odds to claim the AFC North crown for the 2024 season. Of the division's four clubs, Pittsburgh was the biggest underdog at +850.