5 players rapidly trending up at Steelers training camp

QB Dwayne Haskins

I expected some growing pains for Dwayne Haskins upon entering Steelers training camp. Last year for Washington, Haskins really struggled at times with decision-making and his yards per attempt were among the worst in the league. So far, however, he doesn’t seem to be phased at all.

In fact, the former first-round pick seems to be outshining second-string quarterback, Mason Rudolph, in the early going. Rudolph had a couple of big throws down the field that could have been caught, but for the most part, he has frequently dumped the ball down underneath.

During the two-minute drill at the end of practice on the 29th, Rudolph took too long working the ball down the field, and the offense ran out of time without ever attempting a pass in the endzone. Immediately after, Haskins was able to sustain a 48-yard touchdown drive in the two-minute drill that was capped off by a score down the sideline.

So far, Haskins has been patient in the pocket and has showcased a bigger arm. He might not end up surpassing Mason Rudolph on the depth chart, but this is certainly worth monitoring. If he has a great preseason, I wouldn’t say that moving up on the depth chart is out of the question.