The Steelers have their roster mostly complete and will have to make some tough decisions when final cuts are done.
The Steelers are now entering the start of their pre-season process. Players will start to filter into the building between now and mandatory minicamps. They will return to Latrobe to practice in front of an abundance of fans during Training Camp after a couple of year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The offseason showed a new era that is beginning for the black and gold. They have a bunch of new and young faces entering the fold at key positions. They were able to add different starters across the roster and some other players that will be able to push for roster spots.
It is going to be a competitive camp that will make this club better for its upcoming 2022 campaign. There is a lot of work ahead of them, but there could be some interesting names that do not make the team when final cuts come in. It is early, but some things are starting to look interesting for the future of this franchise.
Specialists (3):
Chris Boswell, Pressley Harvin III, Christian Kuntz
The specialist positions are always discounted by fans, despite them being vital to football teams. Chris Boswell is returning to the Steelers as one of their best in franchise history. He is coming off a great season in 2021 and looks to not be slowing down anytime soon.
Pressley Harvin III had a tough rookie season in the NFL, but personal things off the field with his family seemed to shake up his performance. He will have another legit shot at keeping his spot and will hopefully rebound. Christian Kuntz was a solid long snapper for this team and was steady in 2021, his job also seems safe.
Quarterback (3):
Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Chris Oladokun
This is where the first real surprise comes into the fold in this first rendition of the roster predictions series. Chris Oladokun had to of been selected in the seventh round for another reason instead of just adding an extra arm in camp. It seems like Mason Rudolph could be on his way out the door soon.
The Steelers look to be all in at finding more mobile quarterbacks to implement Matt Canada’s offensive scheme. All three quarterbacks that made this mocked roster are much more mobile than Rudolph is. It is entirely possible that Rudolph makes this roster and Oladokun gets sent to the practice squad, but it makes sense.
Both the team and Rudolph seem to want different things. He wants to start, and the team wants to neglect to give him a chance, with good reason. He has not taken great advantage of his limited starting opportunities and that led to them signing Mitch Trubisky and drafting Kenny Pickett.
He could always demand a trade or release if he sees the writing on the wall of him being the third-string quarterback. He would be a solid player at that point on a team’s depth chart, but he might not want that. It will be interesting to see what Chris Oladokun can do in camp to prove to coaches that he is worth keeping over this veteran option.
Running back (3):
Najee Harris, Benny Snell Jr., Mataeo Durant
The top two seem to be almost locks to make the final roster for 2022. Unless there is a veteran added to this group, the last spot on the roster will be up for grabs. Anthony McFarland Jr. will have the upper hand with his draft pedigree and limited experience in the NFL.
He is a running back that has battled injuries and struggled to have a role carved out for him since entering the NFL. The Steelers will likely try to salvage his career, but if he fails, it will likely lead to a short stint in the professional league. His main competition will be some of these undrafted free agents that the club signed.
Mataeo Durant stands out the most as he was able to put up good numbers during his collegiate career at Duke. He started to show a more all-around game in 2021 with his ability to run the football and make some catches out of the backfield. He will be McFarland’s main competition, but in this prediction article, Durant won the last spot.
One thing that will be interesting to monitor for the black and gold between now and the regular season are veteran options. There are some interesting names that would fit in well for a depth role on this roster. They would be wise to consider adding a player to upgrade the position behind Najee Harris.
Wide receivers (6):
Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin, Gunner Olszewski
For the most part, receivers making this team are straightforward. The only player that could miss making the club is Gunner Olszewski if he does not show enough. He is strictly a return specialist, and he needs to prove that in the pre-season to make this team.
If he fails to do so or if another player shows more promise, then his job will be in jeopardy. The rest of the players at the position are straightforward. The Steelers keep at least five receivers, but they could always keep six like they did here.
Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are safe and will play significant starting roles for this group. George Pickens and Calvin Austin III are locks that will get chances to establish themselves early into their rookie years. Miles Boykin and Olszewski seem to be the only players on this list that will have to fight for a spot.
There are not too many receivers or returners on the roster right now that seem to be idle threats to them. Boykin has speed and pedigree that would be a good depth piece in a deep room at the position. There will be battles, but this group looks pretty much set to go for 2022.
Tight end/Full back (5):
Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Kevin Radar, Connor Heyward, Derek Watt
This is the grouping that will have a close eye on them throughout camp. Connor Heyward and Derek Watt both play fullback, but coaches see Heyward as a Swiss army knife. He will be used in a hybrid type role switching from tight end to fullback, and maybe some running back.
It is going to be interesting to see if the team decides to keep five players between these two positions. Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry are locks to make the team as the top two tight ends. After that is when things start to get a little fuzzy about which players will make the final roster.
Kevin Radar has been getting better every year and should be in the thick of things to make some of the final spots on the 53. He is a solid blocker that can also play special teams, which is huge. The two fullbacks and their ability to play some tight end could be where things get interesting.
Heyward will have a lot of chances to show what he got in terms of blocking and catching the ball. Watt looks like he will make the team with his abilities shown on special teams, despite his hefty cap hit. All three fringe guys make the roster here as they can block and play on special teams well.
Offensive line (8):
Dan Moore Jr., Kevin Dotson, Kendrick Green, James Daniels, Chuks Okorafor, Mason Cole, Joe Haeg, J.C. Hassenauer
There are already seven of these spots filled up before the pre-season process even begins. The five starters have not been figured out yet and will be ironed out in time, but seven will make the roster. There will be depth players that lose starting spots and other players that will be one of the starting five on this unit.
Dan Moore Jr. is the returning left tackle that is coming off a solid stretch run in his rookie season. Kevin Dotson is a reliable starter when healthy, he just needs to put a full season together. Kendrick Green and Mason Cole will battle for the starting center spot and the loser will be a swing depth piece.
James Daniels is going to be the best starter across this offensive line as he starts at guard as well. Chuks Okorafor will be the returning right tackle and start in 2022 while Joe Haeg continues to be the swing tackle. The biggest question mark right now that will be decided in camp is the last lineman that will make this team.
It looks like there is only one spot open for this roster across the offensive trenches. That player will need to have versatility and the experience of starting as well. J.C. Hassenauer fits that bill as he has played both center and guard during games for the Steelers and he beats out John Leglue for this last spot in this scenario.
Defensive line (7):
Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Chris Wormley, Tyson Alualu, DeMarvin Leal, Isaiah Loudermilk, Montravius Adams
The defensive line will have the magnifying glass hovering over it until the beginning of the regular season. Stephon Tuitt still has not publicly expressed what his future looks like in the NFL after missing the entirety of the 2021 season. He has a lot of personal battles going on and needs to decide what to do for 2022 soon.
If he returns, then this group of seven seems like locks. They would have a solid starting three with some good options in-depth roles as well. Tuitt, Cam Heyward, and Tyson Alualu were one of the best trios in the NFL along the trenches when they were playing together.
Chris Wormley stepped up last year with Tuitt being gone and showed some promising pass rush abilities. Isaiah Loudermilk has become one of the best run defenders across the front, he just needs to develop more as a pass rusher. Montravius Adams could be the starting nose tackle on most teams, but he is a tremendous depth piece behind Alualu.
This group listed above has the capability to be something very special. DeMarvin Leal can come in to give guys breaks and has some nice pass rush skills. He needs to settle in more in some phases of the game, but he might have to be a starter if Tuitt does not come back. This is a strong group that has depth behind it that can rotate onto the field when called upon.
Linebacker (8):
T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Genard Avery, Derrek Tuszka, Devin Bush, Myles Jack, Buddy Johnson, Robert Spillane
The Steelers have a strong group of linebackers entering 2022. They could use another couple of depth edge rushers to play a role behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but we shall see if that happens. The edge rushers are straightforward now, but the quality isn’t there for the unit.
Genard Avery has been in the league for some time now and that is a benefit. He has not done much in terms of production since his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns. Derrek Tuszka had a solid conclusion to the 2021 season and that gave him a realistic shot at making this roster.
Devin Bush and Myles Jack are the two starters in the middle of this defense. Buddy Johnson has not done much since being drafted so hopefully he will take a step forward in year two. He has been a disappointment thus far, but he still has more chances.
Robert Spillane is someone the team is comfortable with and has starting experience. That experience and the team’s likability alone will probably allow him to stick on this roster. He can play on run downs and should be taken off the field during those long passing downs, despite the coach’s infatuation with keeping him on the field in those circumstances.
Defensive back (10):
Ahkello Witherspoon, Levi Wallace, Cam Sutton, Arthur Maulet, Tre Norwood, Justin Layne, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Terrell Edmunds, Damontae Kazee, Miles Killebrew
There was an internal struggle here to keep an extra inside linebacker or Justin Layne. The young corner won the spot in this prediction article for a couple of reasons. He plays special teams well and the defense needs more depth at the position.
Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace will get the first cracks at winning the starting outside corner spots and they should win. Cam Sutton will retain the nickel corner spot as he is becoming one of the better options in the NFL. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds bring back one of the better safety tandems in the league as well.
Arthur Maulet and Tre Norwood both played some meaningful snaps for the team in 2021 and will battle for snap counts between one another. Damontae Kazee is another veteran option that was brought onto the team and will find a nice role to play in this secondary as well. Miles Killebrew is solid at special teams and will make the team purely off his abilities in that phase of football.
This is a solid group with good depth at different positions. A better veteran option at cornerback would make the roster that much better, but it’s not a necessity. Safety might be one of the deepest positional groups on the Steelers.
Practice squad (16):
Ulysees Gilbert III, John Leglue, Chaz Green, Karl Joseph, Mark Robinson, Cody White, Trey Edmunds, John Simon…
Ulysees Gilbert III seems like he will lose his spot in camp but having him on the practice squad will allow for depth on the outside of the roster. John Leglue lost to J.C. Hassenauer in this prediction but having a former starter on the squad helps a ton. The Steelers also keep Chaz Green as they need more tackles available if one of their rostered players gets hurt.
Karl Joseph has first-round pedigree, but he has not done anything for Pittsburgh yet and reverts to the practice fields. Mark Robinson was one of the seventh-round picks and he should be able to show enough in the pre-season to make this unit. Cody White was able to have a solid pre-season last year and should again in 2022. His issue is there is too much talent for him to make the roster.
Trey Edmunds has been on and off the practice squad for a while now and that trend continues here. He is a solid special teams guy that can run the ball when needed. John Simon joined the club late last year after injuries occurred and did not do a ton. He has a lot of experience in the NFL and that helps him get this job.
The Steelers kept depth in mind, especially for the positions that did not get a ton on the roster. They added linebackers and some offensive linemen in this part of the practice squad article. The focus was on keeping players with experience and pedigree or some form of upside.
Practice Squad (cont.):
Carlos Davis, Marcus Allen, James Pierre, Anthony McFarland Jr., Rico Bussey, Chris Steele, T.D. Moultry, Donovan Stiner
This slide wraps up the entire 16 player practice squad. The team could always keep a kicker or punter on hand, but that did not shake out like that here. Carlos Davis makes the squad after losing out to a talented defensive line group. Marcus Allen has a lot of experience both on defense and on special teams that will be valuable on the practice field.
James Pierre lost to Justin Layne to make the final roster but will work on his game before getting called up. Anthony McFarland Jr. has been a bust since coming out of college and needs to collect his game or he will be out of the NFL soon. Rico Bussey had a solid camp in 2021 and sat on the practice fields and will continue developing there, while he also provides slot receiver depth.
Chris Steele has the size that most teams are looking for in cornerbacks and will try to develop his game more in Pittsburgh. The Steelers decided to keep another undrafted free agent in T.D. Moultry with hopes of turning him into a solid player in another year or so. Donovan Stiner makes it back onto the practice squad as the team seems to really like this player.
This was another group of the practice squad that filled some extra depth pieces that the team missed out on. Not every position can have a bunch of players behind the starters and these guys help accomplish that task some more. They got some experienced players and some young and developmental guys for a good group during practice.
The Steelers will have a lot of evaluating to do with their newly retooled team. There are a bunch of new faces entering the fold that will be fighting for one of these final 53 spots on the opening day roster.