Still Curtain
FanSided

Pittsburgh Steelers: Don’t sleep on Eli Rogers

By Noah Strackbein

Dec 18, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Eli Rogers (17) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Eli Rogers (17) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

One of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most competitive offseason position battles is at slot receiver, but the winner may surprise some people.

Must Read: 15 greatest Steelers NFL Draft steals

Eli Rogers isn’t the first name you think of when you say Pittsburgh Steelers receiver. In fact, he may be the last name to many people, as he’s the least talked about among Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Sammie Coates, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

He’s already jumped under Antonio Brown’s wing. He’s already put up 594 yards and three touchdowns in his first 13 games in the NFL. He’s already won the starting job for most of the 2016 season.

Now, he’s fighting an entirely different battle, and there’s little doubt he can win this one as well.

Rogers and Smith-Schuster are the front runners for the slot receiver position this season. With Martavis Bryant returning from suspension, he and AB will man the outside, while one of the two competitors will work on the inside with tight end, Jesse James.

While some believe that Pittsburgh drafted Smith to become one of the key parts of this offense eventually, his time may not be this season. Rogers has already proven he’s a reliable pair of hands on the field, and with a year of chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger, he may be the front-runner to start in Week 1.

Must Read: Steelers WR are from every round of the NFL Draft

On top of him already being a year into playing with this team, Rogers has the help from his “big bro,” Antonio Brown.

“Show me the way, big bro,” Rogers told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on his message to AB.

Maybe he’ll never be the next league-leading wideout, but with help from one, he’s certainly not going to fall off in this league. As long as he continues to develop, his time in Pittsburgh is going to be well spent, with plenty of looks in this receiving core.

Don’t sleep on Eli Rogers. The 24-year-old is only getting started in this league, and already is putting up impressive numbers. He’s not going to be on the outside this season, but with the talent around him, teams will forget about his capabilities.

He’s going to make a lot of people regret not game planning for #17. With his quickness off the ball, insanely strong hands, and high motor, Rogers will become one of Big Ben’s favorite targets this season.

Yes, he may be the forgotten receiver in Pittsburgh, but he’ll earn his shot once again. When Rogers touches the field this season, he’ll remind people why he deserves to be in the starting lineup.

Next: Top 5 offensive players of 2017

“I’ve proven myself last year, I’m going to continue to prove myself this year,” Rogers told Fowler. “I’m not out here competing with anyone. I’m out here competing with myself.”

Home/Steelers News