Although it is hard to tell a lot from OTAs, it is good to hear about which Steelers are performing well. Here is a look at three winners from OTAs.
The Steelers hosted OTAs from May 21st to June 6th of 2019. It is hard to tell who improved from their offseason program as it is football in shorts. However, there have been players in the past who have generated buzz in OTAs, and went on to have good seasons as Steelers.
A good example of this came in 2017 with cornerback, Mike Hilton. He generated some buzz only to become the Steelers primary slot cornerback, and he seems poised to fill that role for the 3rd straight season in 2019.
OTAs are a good opportunity to get the team together. They are only about ten days and most of the players for that team in the regular season will be there. It is also a good time to learn technique. If there is one goal for that time of year, it is for young players to learn the technique to play for the Steelers. There is also a day where the Steelers have practice cancelled for team building and this year they went to Top Golf.
The players who generate buzz during OTAs tend to become contributors. It really is a time for sleepers to emerge more than star. Guys like Mike Hilton and Eli Rogers are players that were undrafted and therefore did not have a high profile while they ended up being contributors in the slot game. They may not have been starters in base, but there presence was found in the offense or the defense.
Some honorable mention OTAs buzz guys are Diontae Johnson and Sutton Smith. Diontae Johnson has been generating buzz since the draft; so, its not a surprise that he is getting attention in OTAs. Also draft picks get a lot of coverage during OTAs. Sutton Smith has been generating buzz because he is playing fullback. The fact that he could play both ways does not guarantee him a spot on the 53 man roster, but does make him a tough cut.