With the Steelers’ offseason mostly over, here are the five positional battles that are already heating up for the team.
The Steelers have wrapped up most of their offseason moves and are now getting ready for training camp. With so many new faces, there will be some exciting depth chart battles to watch once camp gets underway. While some players have already established starting roles, there are plenty of jobs up for grabs. Here are the five depth chart battles that are heating up for the Steelers in 2022.
Steelers FB
If you would have told me that I would be hyping up a fullback positional battle for the Steelers last year, I would have laughed. While not elite, Derek Watt is a serviceable player and an excellent special teams player. Given the money the team is paying him, it seemed unlikely that a significant addition would be made there.
Everything changed when the team drafted Connor Heyward in the sixth round. While not a traditional fullback, he has the skills to be a versatile player there who can contribute more as an offensive weapon. He poses a significant threat to Watt’s roster spot. The team was confident enough to spend a sixth-round pick on the rookie, so it should be a good battle between the two.
While not a lock, I do think there is a chance that both Watt and Heyward make the final roster. They carried two fullbacks before, and this year could be a similar situation. If both are valuable special teams’ assets, both can be kept. Watt can be used as a traditional fullback while Heyward is more of an offensive weapon. That said, there should be a battle for the fullback job during training camp.
Steelers ILB
This group as a whole carries a lot of intrigue, as while it is one of the weaker positions in terms of star power present, this group has a lot of depth. For a position that the team normally only keeps four-five players at, the Steelers currently have seven names that are realistic roster candidates. The battle for how this depth chart works out will be fun to watch this summer.
While the top three spots are seemingly set, the rest of the roster will be fighting for as little as one more spot. Marcus Allen has a key special teams role, but he has lacked the desired on-the-field production as a linebacker. Ulysees Gilbert is in a similar spot. Throw in Buddy Johnson and Mark Robinson, who are mostly complete unknowns right now, and you will likely see a fierce fight for the last few roster spots.
While their spots on the team are mostly secure, there should also be a battle brewing between Myles Jack and Devin Bush. While both will be considered starters, their style of game is similar. One will likely outplay the other, thus they will be fighting for the chance to be the every-down starter. This position from the top down should yield some of the fiercest training camp roster battles.
Steelers C
Easily the most disappointing rookie from last season, Kendrick Green was a mild disaster as the starting center for this team. He was undersized, overmatched, and played with poor technique for most of the season. This led to a weak interior of the line and some early cries that Green is a bust. The team had to add some more talent at center this offseason.
They sort of did that with Mason Cole. A disappointment before last season, Cole started to play better when he was on the Vikings line. That said, the earlier position of his career was marred in inconsistencies, so to say he is an obvious upgrade over Green seems premature. That said both will hopefully bring out the best in each other as they compete for the starting center role.
While Cole likely has the early advantage due to the contract he signed, don’t count out Green just yet. Cole has never been an elite player, so if Green can make some improvements, there is a real chance he starts. At the bare minimum, both should ideally make the other one play better. This battle will be a fun one to watch as both are competing for the starting role.
Steelers CB
While not as devoid of talent as the linebacker position, the cornerback position is in a similar spot as the linebacker job. The team has a lot of talented options, but the Steelers are lacking a proper number one starter. The team is made up of similar quality potential starters which is why this group should have such fierce competition in camp.
The trio at the top of this depth chart all have starting experience and are playing on almost identical contracts. Cameron Sutton has the most experience on this team and the most versatility as he can play in the slot. Ahkello Witherspoon was added via trade last season and while it took him a while to see the field, he was the team’s best cornerback through the end of last season. The new face is Levi Wallace, who has developed into a capable starter during his time with the Bills.
How this group ultimately shakes out is anyone’s guess, but it should be a fun group to watch in camp. What benefits this group is Sutton’s versatility. There is a real chance that he resumes some of his slot roles again this season since both Witherspoon and Wallace are outside-only cornerbacks. No matter how this group shakes out, the top three should be a great fight to follow this offseason.
Steelers QB
Easily the most exciting battle during camp will occur in the quarterback room. For the first time in 18 years, the Steelers quarterback isn’t settled going into training camp. There are three new faces in this group, and all three will be fighting for a roster spot. On top of this, the role of starter is wide open as the team heads into camp.
The first new name to join this team was Mitchell Trubisky. The former Bear and Bill had a lot of starter interest being given to him despite a lackluster career to this point. The Steelers then turned around and drafted the most pro-ready quarterback of the draft in Kenny Pickett. Rounding out the draft was Chris Oladokun, who figures to compete for the third quarterback spot.
With camp right around the corner, this group of four will all be fighting for something. Pickett and Trubisky will be fighting for the starting role while Oladokun and Mason Rudolph will be trying to secure that number three role. It should be a fierce battle for the whole depth chart as each quarterback is playing for something.
While there is still some time before camp officially opens, these five positional battles are already heating up. Starter and backup positions are all up for grabs, and these players need to be ready for a huge fight. Keep these five positional battles in mind as training camp draws closer.