5 Steelers to watch in their second preseason game vs. Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Kansas City Chiefs for their second preseason game on Saturday. Here are 5 players all fans should be watching.

The Steelers got the ball rolling in week one of the preseason. Though the outcome of the game was meaningless, Pittsburgh found a way to get fans excited from the gate.

Some of Steelers young talent stood out in their debut performance. Here are five players to keep an eye on as Pittsburgh hosts the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow night:

Justin Layne

Layne struggled mightily in his first NFL action. He had a few good plays in coverage, but was overall underwhelming as he gave up too much space in the passing game, and struggled against the run. Layne appeared to be a long way from contributing for the Steelers. Can he bounce back in week two and prove us wrong?

Ulysees Gilbert III

Gilbert may have gotten our hopes a little higher than they should be, but he had a fantastic game in his first ever NFL action. Pro Football Focus awarded him an overall grade of 92.2 against the Buccaneers last week, and he made the PFF Defensive Team of the Week. Gilbert notched 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4 QB hits, and an interception on a 2-point conversion attempt. We are hoping for another strong performance from a player who could be part of the linebacker rotation some day.

James Washington

Washington put on a clinic against the Buccaneers last week. He led all Steelers with 4 catches and 84 yards. The 2nd year receiver also hauled in a back-shoulder fade for a touchdown, and was just inches away from getting his feet in on what would have been another score. Moncrief is still expected to be the starter opposite of JuJu to start the season, but Washington could make a push with another dominant performance.

Johnny Holton

Both Holton and Tevin Jones stand a very slim chance to make the roster this year, but it is possible the Steelers could go with a big-bodied special teams player over one of the slot receivers. Holton was impressive last week – catching 2 of his 3 targets for 69 yards. He will look for another good performance in week 2.

Mason Rudolph

Both Mason Rudolph and Josh Dobbs had solid performances last week, and I thought Dobbs did enough to earn the start again in week 2. However, Tomlin expressed that Rudolph will start Saturday night’s game against the Chiefs. The second year quarterback still has a lot to prove, but showed poise, patience, and accuracy last week. Could he be the quarterback of the future or just another backup in Pittsburgh?

I like to take time to study all of the young players in preseason, but these five Steelers should be particularly interesting to watch this week. Some of these players will be contributing on game-day, and we would like to see what they have to offer.