No preseason could mean no playing time for Steelers rookies

The Steelers final two draft picks may have the toughest time earning playing time

Drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 draft, Antoine Brooks Jr., Safety out of Maryland, along with his fellow draft mates, assumed there would be a preseason for him to prove to the Steelers that, despite being a sixth-round pick, he deserved a spot on the team.

With the lack of a preseason, Brooks Jr. will be in the same boat as the other Steelers rookies about whom we spoke, meaning Brooks Jr. will have only the practice setting to prove that he belongs on the team.

As with other positions, we do have veterans at both safety positions on the roster who would presumably know the defense better than Brooks Jr. (would know the defense).  That is not to say that he would not be able to quickly learn the playbook, but he would probably have to learn both safety positions to give himself a real shot at making the 53-man roster or the practice squad, for that matter.

With the 232nd pick in the seventh round, the Steelers selected Carlos Davis, DT out of Nebraska. This one is honestly hard for me to predict because, like his fellow rookies, Davis is sitting behind veterans at a position that has depth.  What would Davis have to do to earn a roster spot?

Forget playing time for a minute, for a seventh-round DT to make the 53-man roster is probably a long shot, but Davis is athletic and has good size for a player at his position; Davis is listed at 6′ 2″ and 320lbs. He would truly have to make a play on every snap he gets in practice in order to make the 53-man roster.

Let’s wrap up this discussion, shall we?