Javon Hargrave knows this is a big year for him as the Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle enters the final year of his rookie contract with his sights set on earning a lucrative deal.

Not that you could tell by the easy smile on his face.

“In the NFL, I feel like every year is a big year,” Hargrave said. “I don’t too much get worried about that (contract) stuff. I just come in here every day, try to lift and run and work on my stuff. Whenever that time comes, it comes.”

That was Hargrave’s way of saying he wasn’t interested in talking about a new contract. If that time comes, it will come before the Sept. 8 opener at New England as it is team policy not to negotiate once the season starts.

The question is how the Steelers will prioritize their impending free agents as Hargrave is joined by cornerbacks Artie Burns and Joe Haden, safety Sean Davis and outside linebacker Bud Dupree as prominent players entering the final year of their contracts. Hargrave just might be the most irreplaceable.

That’s why the 6-foot-2, 305-pound Hargrave wants to prove he’s a three-down player, someone whose value increases because he can stay on the field on passing downs. That Steelers organized team activities are mostly pass-oriented is giving Hargrave a chance to work on his hands and rush technique.

Then again, Hargrave’s percentage of plays dropped from 46.4% in 2017 to 43.6% last season, even though he played the same number of snaps (455) in both seasons. Both his snaps and percentage of plays are down from his rookie season, when Hargrave played 492 snaps (47.04%). He often slid to defensive end after Cameron Heyward suffered a season-ending injury.

“It’s 2019. It’s more of a pass league,” Hargrave said. “The only way you’re going to get on the field is if you can rush the passer. That’s the good thing about me: I can do both, so I can stay on the field if they want me to.”

Hargrave proved his pass-rushing ability last season. He had only two sacks in each of his first two NFL seasons before breaking out with 6 1⁄2sacks, including a two-sack performance in the 20-16 victory at Jacksonville. That sack total ranked third on the Steelers, behind outside linebacker T.J. Watt (13) and Heyward (eight), but shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise.

Hargrave’s reputation at S.C. State was as a dominant pass rusher. He had 16 sacks as a junior and 131⁄2 as a senior and combined for 451⁄2 tackles for loss in his final two seasons. So he’s never viewed himself as a two-down talent.

“To y’all it was new, but to me it’s how I felt about myself all along,” Hargrve said. “It just came to light with my production. I know I can rush the passer. I know I can play the run.

“It’s a prove-it league. They ain’t going to know until you do it. To everybody else, they say, ‘run stopper.’ In my own mind, I say I’m everything. That’s the kind of mindset I carry.”

If Hargrave gives any indication of the importance of this season, it’s in how he has altered his approach to the game. He is focused on sleeping eight hours a night, drinking more water, eating healthier and getting massages in an attempt to take better care of his body and aid his recovery after practices and games.

It’s all part of his plan to improve every season.

“Just being a better pro,” Hargrave said. “Every year, you have to find something you can get better at. For me, it’s just everything with football, with life. This is my job. I feel like I improved and got more professional with my whole life — the (way) I sleep, eat and train.

“Football is life right now, so I wake up every day with a plan on what I need to get better as a football player.”

If that helps Hargrave command a lucrative contract, life will be even better.

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