Lol you've taken the opinions better than most.... good job. my opinions
aftermarket, like black halos, with leds and what not look ricey/cheap..... either clear them (remove orange reflector) or get denali projectors.
steps, as said dont look right to me on a single cab. please do not get big chrome step tubes, or any step tubes for that matter
tailgate strip? sometimes can be pulled off, rarely IMO, but most of the time ends up having burnt out leds and looking super trashy.
chrome..... you can definitely go overboard quick. as you can with colormatching.
exhaust, all opinion just dont get big ass super visible dual tips..... will get bashed. i have a dynomax bullet, louder than a flowmaster, but has a different sound. deep deep rumble at idle, little drone, not too loud not too quiet..... but again all preference
look around for tires and wheels and make sure you want what you want. i got 33" trail grapplers with 50%+ tread and 20" black pro comp wheels for $1000 last year. so be looking for deals but dont cheap out on stuff like paint