The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to practice in pads. Here are four players who really stood out this week during training camp practices.
The Steelers had a Saturday night training camp practice at Heinz Field, and some players rose to the occasion. While players like Robert Spillane, Chris Wormley, Kameron Canaday, and Wendell Smallwood sat out with injuries, most players suited up for the evening practice.
Over the past week, certain players have been drawing a lot of buzz due to what they’ve been showing on the football field. Here are four Steelers who stood out over the last week of practice:
James Washington
Of all the players who have stood out for the Steelers so far this year at training camp, I’m not sure if there’s one who has impressed quite as much as James Washington. As a former Big 12 wide receiver from Oklahoma State, we knew he might have a rough transition to the NFL, but he made major strides in his second season last year.
This past week in camp, Washington has been phenomenal. He caught a pair of touchdown passes from Ben Roethlisberger in 7 shots and constantly made combative catches. His ability to rise up over defenders and use his powerful hands and uncanny body control has caught the eye of just about everyone at camp.
Anthony McFarland
Thanks to a very promising camp, some believe that Anthony McFarland will see a lot of usage in his rookie season. In team drills, McFarland has showcased the ability to ride behind his blockers and explode upfield or bounce the ball outside without losing speed.
The big question for him will come in pass protection. If he can prove to be stable in this area, we could see him on the field early for the Steelers in 2020. His speed has been a treat for this group.
Devin Bush
Devin Bush is still far from being a perfect linebacker, but he seems to understand the game better in year two. During team drills at the Saturday evening practice, Bush seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He even intercepted Roethlisberger once in the endzone.
The athleticism is all there for Bush. If he can lock down his assignments in zone coverage, we could see him improve by leaps and bounds in his second NFL season.
T.J. Watt
This one shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody, as T.J. Watt has already proven to be one of the best young edge defenders in the game. However, during team drills Saturday, Watt dominated the competition – blowing by his man for a pair of sacks.
We know that Watt is an incredible player who’s going to provide constant disruption in the backfield, but let’s hope this is more of Watt being great rather than Zach Banner and Chukwuma Okorafor failing to meet expectations at the right tackle position.
The Steelers still have some figuring out to do, but it’s nice to see these young players making noise in practice. If they can keep up this momentum through the season, Pittsburgh fans could be in for a treat.