Pittsburgh Steelers: Position Battles and Depth Chart

Following the draft and heading into training camp, let’s evaluate what spots on the depth chart are unsettled and who will be the eventual winner.

The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have their roster relatively set for now (at least for the majority of the final 53 players) Because of this, it is a good time to take a look at what spots on the depth chart are going to be decided during camp and preseason, and predict an eventual winner.

Inside Linebacker

This is probably the most important one, certainly on the defensive side. They’ve got the incumbent in Vince Williams, they’ve got the journeyman/hired gun in Mark Barron, and they’ve got the young buck in Devin Bush.  The good news is, these are all solid players. No matter what happens they’ll all likely be contributors.

Like he has been for the past two seasons, Vince Williams will be the Starter at Buck linebacker. With Jon Bostic gone, there is a opening at the Mack position. This feels like Devin Bush’s position to lose. Bush is reportedly already acting like a leader on the field. He’s motivated and talented. The way the Steelers are built, they need speed in the middle and Bush has it. If he can learn his reads and the defense fast enough, then he’s going to be the guy.

No. 2 Wide Receiver

JuJu Smith-Schuster is the undisputed number 1. But how often is their a set with 1 wideout? Hardly ever. The No. 2 wide receiver is a starting, important position. This appears to be another 3-way battle with a similar cast of characters in the incumbent, the hired gun, and the rookie. I’m talking of course about James Washington, Donte Moncrief, and Diontae Johnson, respectively.

This one is a tough call. Donte Moncrief might be most likely to win out. James Washington appears to be the front-runner now, but why? He hasn’t shown anything on the field so far. Johnson is young, and Steelers wide-outs often turn out well but it takes a couple of seasons. Many feel he was a reach where he was drafted. It’s true Moncrief has been spotty, but he has been on bad teams, and spotty is more than you can say for Washington so far. At least short term, Moncrief is probably most deserving of the spot.

No. 2 Tight end

With the departure of Jesse James (who perhaps did not really get all the opportunity he deserved in Pittsburgh), the Steelers left last season with a strong tight end unit and enter this one with question marks. Xavier Grimble and rookie Zach Gentry appear to be the main fighters in this ring. Xavier Grimble, of course, has the experience and is a superior blocker, but Zach Gentry brings height and athleticism that you can’t teach, and Ben is always lobbying for tall pass-catchers.

Zach Gentry was not drafted for what he is as much as what he could be. He may have a higher upside than Grimble. However, although upside can get you on the roster, it doesn’t get you on the field. Gentry needs better hands and better route running. Perhaps on another team Gentry would have a leg up, but just like the roster battle at linebacker, a decisive factor will be how the Steelers use the position. The Steelers like a tight end who can catch, but they need one who can block. Based on that alone, Grimble wins.

Cornerback

No, not Joe Haden, the other one. Yet again, we find ourselves with the incumbent in Artie Burns, the hired gun in Steven Nelson, and the rookie in Justin Layne. Artie Burns got off to a solid start after being selected in the first round but struggled to the point of being benched last season. Steven Nelson’s signing drew mixed responses but he’s a solid starter and still young. And though Layne is a rookie 3rd rounder, he was a steal where he was drafted and has many qualities the Steelers like in a cornerback.

This battle probably goes to Steven Nelson. Given the fact that the Steelers declined to pick up the 5th year option, it appears they’ve mostly given up on Burns. And though Justin Layne could be the future, cornerback is not a position that many 3rd round choices can start on day 1 at. It’s true that Steven Nelson isn’t perfect, but he’s consistently held a starting corner job in the NFL and that’s more than we can say for his competition.

These are the most consequential battles. There’s back up quarterback and back up running back, and if Matt Feiler isn’t what they hope, then right tackle could become a season-long headache. But for now, these appear to be the most significant and pressing spots on the depth chart that need sorted out. We’ll see how things panned out come September.