3 Steelers who have been utter disappointments this preseason

3. LB Ulysees Gilbert

Despite being just a sixth-round pick back in 2019, I had relatively high hopes for Ulysees Gilbert III. The athletic linebacker has landed on IR in each of his first two seasons with the team, and I thought we might finally see a very good, young player in 2021. That hasn’t been the case.

Though he’s finally healthy, Gilbert has been one of the weakest spots on the team during the preseason. Known for his ability to run and cover during his time at Akron, Gilbert has really struggled in this area of his game in the NFL preseason this year.

Additionally, Gilbert has missed a few easy tackles – something he can’t afford to do while fighting for a spot on the roster. He has been late to the ball and hasn’t had many impressive players over the past three games.

With Joe Schobert now in town, there is likely one less spot for an off-ball linebacker on the roster this year. Marcus Allen hasn’t been great either, but it’s hard to envision a scenario where both of these players make the team. Gilbert just hasn’t done anything to impress like we had hoped this summer.

Obviously, we hope these three players can still turn things around – especially Okorafor, who will be asked to play a very important role for the team this year. Keep an eye on them in the final preseason contest against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night.