4 Steelers whose futures are in doubt after the 2021 draft

With the team welcoming a new crop of rookies in, these four Steelers veterans’ long-term outlook with the team has become dim.

The NFL is a cruel business, as talent is cycled through at a rapid rate and unless you are a top star, it is hard to consistently remain on a roster. The Steelers pride themselves on the next-man-up philosophy, wanting to draft and develop their next crop of starters. That means that some of the players currently on the roster will ultimately lose out to this next wave of players. These four players’ outlook with the team just got worse thanks to the Steelers draft.

Jordan Berry

The Steelers don’t have a history of drafting specialists regularly, so the team selecting punter Pressley Harvin III with their final pick is telling. He will come in and face off against long-time punter Jordan Berry. Surprisingly, Berry had a good season last year after getting cut and then re-signed in the season. That said, he has had his fair share of struggles with consistency, making the move to get a punter a logical one.

Harvin has a great leg but could use some work with his directional punting. As well, being picked doesn’t guarantee he makes the final roster. All one has to do is remember Colin Holba getting selected in the sixth and failing to make the roster as proof of that. The fact that the Steelers were set on drafting competition for Berry is certainly telling though. He will have the opportunity to keep his job but expect Harvin to be the favorite to win the job this year.