The Steelers always have a handful of sleepers in each camp, and this is who will likely be getting a lot of hype once training camp opens.
The Steelers are no secrets to training camp sleepers. These players enter camp ready to compete, and for a variety of reasons are some of the highlights during practices and the preseason. Some go on to have great careers (hello Mike Hilton) and others never get a true grasp of the team despite camp dominance (looking at you Justin Hunter). This year will be no different, as a handful of players will stick out at camp and be heavily talked about. Here is one training camp sleeper by position for the Steelers.
Steelers Dwyane Haskins
It’s hard to pick a sleeper at the quarterback position this summer, as the Steelers have four relatively established options heading into camp. Of all the names, Dwayne Haskins offers the most intrigue. While he has seemingly split Steelers nation in terms of whether to support him or not, he is in the best position to increase his stock through camp.
Simply put, Haskins’s strengths should make him a notable player in camp. He has an incredible arm, meaning he will be able to sling deep passes down the field in light practices. While his accuracy will have to be more on display in the preseason, he should at least be on a few winners list once camp ends. Will it ultimately translate to success? Only time will tell but expect to hear Haskins’s name pop up a few times due to his arm strength.
Steelers Kalen Ballage
Similar to the quarterbacks, the Steelers aren’t bringing in any notable sleeper running backs. Every back, outside of Najee Harris who is most definitely not a sleeper, is an established veteran and has held down roster spots before. While Anthony McFarland was close to securing this spot, most expect him to have some sort of a role with the team. His roster spot is pretty secure, arguably the most secure out of any of the backups.
This leaves Kalen Ballage as the most intriguing name left for the team heading into camp. While he has great short-yardage value and sneaky athleticism, he has yet to make a huge impact on any team he has been with. That said, the Steelers aren’t looking for a back that can start in every facet. Harris will be the bell cow. This means that a backup would benefit from being role-specific. This plays into Ballage’s strengths, as he was one of the better short-yardage backs in the league last year.
Given his athletic profile, I expect Ballage to make some noise in camp and during the preseason. If the Steelers opt to play Harris sparingly during the preseason, Ballage could be the leading yardage back by the time preseason wraps up. He will be in a tight competition with Benny Snell, and assuming the team doesn’t keep both, it will likely be who shows more this offseason. Ballage has all the traits to succeed in camp and the preseason and ultimately beat out Snell for the final roster spot at running back.
Steelers Isaiah McKoy
One of my ultimate camp sleepers this year, Isaiah McKoy has every trait in the book to be a great training camp darling. He has good size and was a huge deep threat while at Kent St. While his athletic testing was subpar, which is the primary reason he went undrafted, his game film shows a different story. He consistently beat his man down the field for huge gains.
Now, the talent level of defensive backs, even preseason defensive backs, will jump dramatically now that he is a pro. He won’t be wide open on most plays like he was in college. That said, he will certainly benefit from having a strong-armed quarterback throw him the ball. Remember Haskins name from before, as these two could form quite the connection in camp given McKoy’s ability to win deep.
This isn’t to say he will find his way onto the active roster by any means. He needs to prove himself as a special team’s option before any of that can happen. That said, if he can flash the ability to win deep, he will be a likely practice squad player at worst. Like Hunter before him, McKoy is the type of player that should excel in camp and during the preseason. Here is to hoping that he has a better impact than Hunter did with the team.
Steelers Dax Raymond
I almost skipped the tight end position from this list, because this group is lacking depth let alone sleeper talent. Neither Eric Ebron nor Pat Freiermuth can be considered sleepers given their role with the team, and the options behind them are pretty rough. Zach Gentry hasn’t developed in the slightest, and while Kevin Rader is a fine blocker, he doesn’t offer anything past that.
There is one name that is a true sleeper though. Dax Raymond was an intriguing tight-end prospect out of Utah St. a few years back. He has good size and above-average athleticism. What is really intriguing is his well-rounded skill set. While he was used as a receiving threat at a smaller school, he was also a notable blocker. He has yet to stick to any team in the NFL, but 2021 could be his best chance.
Raymond actually had a short stint with the Steelers last offseason but was cut with an injury designation about a month after getting brought in. The team clearly saw enough to bring him back for camp this season, so that is saying something (albeit a small something). With the competition so wide open for the final tight end spot, anyone could lay claim to it. Of the scrap heap that is the Steelers tight end depth chart, Raymond might have the most upside.
Steelers Dan Moore
Can a fourth-round rookie really be a sleeper? Yes, he can, especially when you consider how many tackle options are available in front of him. The starters are set right now, and the team brought in Joe Haeg to be the swing tackle/blocking tight end in heavy sets. No, Dan Moore won’t be competing for a starting role this season (if he is, something has gone horribly wrong). He could stake a claim for the top backup spot though.
Moore enters the league as an experienced and athletic prospect out of Texas A&M. He has the prototypical build for a tackle and has some notably long arms that aid in him making the first contact on blocks. Where he struggles with is general technique while blocking. If he can be coached up though, he could be a low-end starter and at worst, a great swing tackle.
His main competition is the aforementioned Haeg, who is notably mediocre as an offensive lineman. He has plenty of experience in that reserve/swing role, but he is far from a great option there. If Moore can flash some in camp, he could see more playing time than most expect in camp. At the bare minimum, his size and athletic traits should make him a fun player to watch go up against the back of the roster defensive players.
Steelers Carlos Davis
Once again, Carlos Davis isn’t your traditional camp sleeper. While his roster spot is far from a lock, he is the best backup nose tackle option and appears to be the favorite to occupy that role in 2021. That said, there is a chance he could do a lot more in that role than many expect, but it will require a strong camp from him in order to do it.
Luckily for him, he is a surprising athlete along the line and plays with a lot of strength. The biggest concern for him coming in as a pro was his consistency and lack of height to be a traditional defensive end. As a nose tackle though, he fits well. He wouldn’t be playing more than 40-45 percent of the snaps and typically shorter players are preferred at nose tackle as they can gain more leverage.
He won’t be penciled in as the starter, as Tyson Alualu should man that role based on his strong performance there last year. That said, if Davis flashes in camp as he should, Alualu could see more snaps as a reserve defensive end like he used to. Davis would man the nose tackle spot while Alualu could cover either end in certain packages. Again, it will take a great camp for him to receive such a role, but Davis has all the traits to make that jump this year.
Steelers Jamar Watson
Another one of the Steelers’ undrafted rookies, Jamar Watson could be a fun player to watch go up against lower-end offensive lines. Add in the fact that the team is lacking other options to fill this sleeper role, so Watson should be seeing plenty of opportunities to make a splash in camp. Given his strong technical skills as a pass rusher, he could overwhelm inexperienced linemen.
Now, don’t mistake this with him being a favorite to land on the roster. Those odds were long, and they got even worse with the addition of Melvin Ingram to the roster. That said, the Steelers will likely want to keep an edge rusher on the practice squad. If Watson can flash as he should in camp, he could spend his rookie season there in hopes that he can develop into a backup in 2022.
Given his strong play as a pass rusher and relatively advanced technique, Watson should be able to beat lower-end linemen in camp. This could lead to some flashy plays and sacks during the preseason. Now, he will have to be lights out in order to have a chance at cracking this roster, but that shouldn’t stop him from making some notable plays once he gets to training camp.
Steelers Ulysees Gilbert
A player that was in a similar role last year, Uylsees Gilbert is facing what is likely his final chance to be on the Steelers roster this camp. While he was a notable camp and preseason sleeper during his rookie year (he played like a man possessed), he has had a nagging back injury that has kept him off the field. While ideally, he has had a chance to heal up a little this year, if that back is still an issue then his career may be over.
The team is seemingly expecting that, as they have added enough inside linebacker options that he could not make the team, and no one would blink. That said, if he can stay healthy and harness the play he had during his rookie year, Gilbert should easily be one of the most impressive players in camp.
Again, he will need to be playing at a high level if he hopes to make this roster, but there are at most two roster spots up for grabs. If he can show that he is a better inside linebacker than Marcus Allen and a better special teams player than Vince Williams, Gilbert could stick on this roster. Assuming he is healthy, he should have another dominant camp as he competes for what is likely his last chance in the NFL.
Steelers Mark Gilbert
Cornerback has quite a few sleepers this season. From James Pierre, as he hopes to go from undrafted rookie last year to essentially a starter this year, to Stephen Denmark, a freaky athlete who has yet to put it all together, to Shakur Brown given his enticing traits as a potential slot cornerback. That said, none of these options combine the developmental potential and underdog status that Mark Gilbert has.
For those of you that are unaware, Gilbert was a sophomore stud at Duke, picking off six passes and showcasing some strong traits in coverage. He was on the path to being a high draft pick until a string of injuries caused him to play a total of four games over the next three seasons. He had good athletic testing numbers this offseason though, indicating that the injuries may not have a long-term impact on Gilbert. If that is the case and he still has the coverage skills he showed early on, he should be a strong camp player.
Assuming his health holds up, expect Gilbert to make a serious push for a backup spot. Like Pierre before him, if he can prove to be that valuable to the Steelers, they will have no choice but to keep him in fear of another team poaching him. He has a long way to go and quite a bit of competition ahead of him, but Gilbert has all the traits to excel in camp.
Steelers Arthur Maulet
This was ultimately a toss-up between Arthur Maulet and Donovan Stiner, as both will be competing for a backup safety role as well as a role in the slot on defense. That said, Stiner is more of a traditional safety while Maulet has the better skills to be a more conventional slot cornerback. While he has started before, he could potentially be playing for a more consistent starting role on the team in nickel and dime defense.
That role is far from a guarantee though, as the Steelers have thrown a lot of options at the wall to see what would stick here. While almost all of those options are lower-level veterans and undrafted/late-round rookies, one of them will have to stick at least well enough for the Steelers to roll with them in 2021. Maulet is in the middle of that race, but he may have the best chance to succeed.
While far from a superstar, Maulet has the most experience on the roster for competing in the slot. Given the depth concerns at safety, there is a real chance Maulet serves a duel role for the Steelers in 2021. He needs a strong camp though, and to prove that he can hold his own as a coverage and run defender out of the slot. That said, he should stick out early due to his veteran status on the team.
With training camp finally upon us, it is time to keep an eye out for potential camp sleepers and studs to emerge from this 90-man roster. While not all of these players will ultimately rise to the occasion, they seem like the most likely sleepers at their given position. It doesn’t guarantee NFL success, but being a camp sleeper with the Steelers could lead to an active role on a roster in 2021.