The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting prepared for their final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Here are five players to keep an eye on.
The NFL preseason is finally coming to a close, but some things haven’t yet been decided in Pittsburgh. There are still many Steelers who stand a real shot at cracking the roster in 2019.
The Steelers got solid performances out of a few of their young players last week. While some veterans can kick back their feet knowing that their spot on the roster is secure, others will be playing for their football careers tonight.
Here are five players all Steelers fans should be watching during their final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers:
Tuzar Skipper
Outside of fellow Toledo alumni, Ola Adeniyi, no undrafted player has impressed as much as Tuzar Skipper. The outside linebacker has a sack in each of his first three preseason games, and has been a force off the edge.
The problem the Steelers have is that they only ever keep four edge players, and Adeniyi is locked in as the fourth. Could they find room for Skipper on the roster? Perhaps one last dominant performance against the Panthers tonight could be enough to persuade Mike Tomlin and company.
Zach Gentry
We all know deep down that Zach Gentry is going to be the third tight end for the Steelers after Vance McDonald and Xavier Grimble. But I want Gentry to earn his job, not win it by default.
The tight end play has been sub par all offseason. It would be nice to witness some signs of life from the Steelers 5th round pick this year. We will be looking for improvements tonight.
Josh Dobbs
Josh Dobbs is set to get the start tonight. While some fans are already aboard the Devlin Hodges train, Dobbs is playing better than you might think.
He was a few unfortunate plays away from having his preseason go much better this year. Dobbs also exploded in the final preseason game last year, so don’t be surprised if it happens again.
Sutton Smith
Time is running out for Sutton Smith, and most of the linebacker spots on the team have already been secured. The unfortunate truth is that Smith is playing for the practice squad at this point.
This isn’t all bad though. If he plays well enough tonight, his odds increase of sticking around for another year. Perhaps he can prove himself worthy of a role in 2020.
Ulysees Gilbert
I have to say that I am pleasantly impressed with how good Gilbert has done so far. The 2019 6th round pick is outplaying his day-three draft status, and looks like a player who wants to steal some snaps early.
Gilbert is built for today’s game – a fast linebacker who runs with tight ends and running backs, and can play at all levels of the field. I don’t know how much time he could see tonight, but a solid performance could help him climb on the depth chart.
There are many other players who will be fighting for their football careers tonight, and some of these players could end up being major contributors for the Steelers down the line. Keep a close eye on them in their final preseason performance of 2019.