With OTA’s wrapping up, the Steelers had some notable names impress early into the training period.
The Steelers have been hard at work during OTA’s, getting their players ready for training camp that opens in just about a month. OTA’s are far from definite, as it is a time for players to show early improvements and build off of the success from the previous season. The team has its own share of people that have already made some positive impressions early in this process. Here are the five current Steelers that have boosted their stock through OTA’s.
Steelers RB coach, Eddie Faulkner
Not all the positive impressions have come only from the Steelers players. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner has been making some waves with the drills he has been putting the running back depth chart through. Each drill seems to be more unique than the last one, and the goal is seemingly to build a much stronger depth chart at running back overall. The drills have made the running backs focus on everything from agility in space to route running.
Frankly, Faulkner needs a strong season to stay with the team long-term. It was a bit of a surprise that he got a new contract this offseason considering the team’s goals. The mantra was to improve the running game, and that was something that Faulkner had not done to this point with the Steelers. He seems better prepared this season though and is adding a layer of creativity in their training. We won’t know until the season how successful it is but working on a multitude of traits for the running back depth is a good indication that improvements may be made amongst this group.
QB Dwayne Haskins
While the signing of Dwayne Haskins was a good one due to the low-risk nature of the deal, it doesn’t mean that Haskins is a slam dunk roster lock. Despite his pedigree, his struggles with Washington, and his seemingly horrible off-the-field attitude would need adjusting before the team could see him as anything other than a camp arm. While it is still extremely early in the process, Haskins seems to be trending in the right direction.
For starters, it really seems like the team is supporting him as a player. Positive comments from Ben Roethlisberger were a welcome sight, as were the videos that surfaced of his arm strength. The team seems to be a good environment for Haskins, as there have been no reported off-the-field issues. As well, it seems like he is finally putting in the work necessary to be a roster-able quarterback in the league.
Now, none of this guarantees him a roster spot with the Steelers in 2021. Mason Rudolph will still be the top backup and Josh Dobbs will push Haskins for the third spot on the roster. That said, Haskins seems to have a new lease on life, and hearing some positives about him this early on is a good sign. No, this doesn’t mean he is a slam dunk franchise quarterback, but he is on pace to salvage his career. He has had a good start to his Steelers career, and hopefully, that continues once camp opens.
CB Shakur Brown
The Steelers had a more exciting undrafted rookie class than normal this year, which was a tad surprising considering the draft pool was so small compared to previous years. A top of that group has to be Shakur Brown from Michigan St., as the junior cornerback was widely considered an early day three pick by most. The team landed him as an undrafted free agent, and he has an instant path to the roster as a potential slot cornerback.
Brown had a solid junior year last year as highlighted by his five interceptions. His issue was his testing numbers, as his athletic profile is mediocre. That said, playing in the slot can help mitigate those athletic deficits he has. Reports surfaced during rookie minicamp that Brown was a regular in the lot. Once OTA’s opened, those reports only escalated.
Now, Brown seeing a lot of snaps this early in the process doesn’t mean he will be locked in as a starter. He will need a Mike Hilton kind of training camp to earn that role. That said, given the questions, this team has at corner and the skill that Brown is showcasing, he appears to be on the fast track to a roster spot. How much he plays this season is still up in the air, but Brown has certainly boosted his name value during the Steelers’ OTAs.
P Pressley Harvin
The Steelers made a rare move in the 2021 draft as they used a seventh-round pick on punter Pressley Harvin out of Georgia Tech. His path to the active roster isn’t easy, as longstanding punter Jordan Berry is still on the roster and is hoping to make the team as well. Harvin will have to have a strong camp in order to unseat the current starter in Berry, as being a draft pick doesn’t lock him into the roster.
That all said, Harvin’s Steelers career seems like it is off to a good start. Reports coming out of camp are that he has a booming leg and has been able to accurately place the balls within the 20. Considering the Steelers prefer punters who have better control of where the ball goes as opposed to just pure power punters, this is a strong indicator for Harvin. One of his main issues in college was consistency, so if he can maintain that punting talent into camp the job should be his.
The only negatives I’ve heard from him so far is that he needs to work on his placeholding during field goals. Don’t undersell that either, because if he is abysmal at holding the football once training camp wraps off that could easily give the punting job back to Berry. That said, the early indications with Harvin right now are that he is everything as advertised and maybe even a little more. Training camp will be critical for him, but he is still on the right path right now to make the team.
RB Najee Harris
No one has had a stronger start to the training process than Najee Harris. From the moment he stepped into rookie minicamp, Harris has looked and acted the part of a starting running back. From explosiveness in drills to great off-the-field contributions to having his calf muscle be compared to an actual football due to the mass, Harris has gotten his NFL career off on the right foot.
What has really been impressive with Harris is his agility so far in drills. Outside of maybe Anthony McFarland, who is about 25 pounds lighter, Harris has been the most impressive with his footwork through drills. You don’t normally see that in a bigger back like himself, as evident by some of the struggles that Benny Snell has had in these same drills. Power backs typically rely less on lateral agility and are more north/south runners. Harris seems like he has the agility to function better in space as a runner.
While Harris didn’t need a strong OTA period to better his cause as a starting running back, seeing him excel so early on is a great sign of what is to come. If he wants any shot at some offseason awards or a potentially deep playoff run, Harris will need to become a key figure on the Steelers’ offense. The early reports look good, and a strong camp to follow would certainly better his cause.
The Steelers OTA’s are a time for unproven and young players to make some noise before training camp begins. While not necessary, a strong showing here can translate to more opportunities during camp, which in turn makes getting on the roster easier. These five Steelers bumped their stock up during OTA’s, so now look for that success to translate into camp.