The Steelers have most of their starting jobs secured, but here are some predictions for the outcomes of some of the internal competitions.
The Steelers have gotten through the first part of their pre-season process. The organized team activities have come and gone and that means some tips of the cap have been shown by the coaching staff. You cannot take the depth chart as gospel at this point, but it does seem like the starting spots are almost secure for the most part.
Many will be watching the quarterbacks and see what will be done at that position. That is fair as Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett will battle it out for the starting spot. There will be other places on this roster that will cause some internal competition to fight for a starting job.
Those positions include across the defensive line, offensive line, and secondary as well. Other areas are secured as star players return to their jobs for the black and gold. It is going to be interesting to see how this team shakes out to fully gain its shape for the upcoming season.
Nothing changes for the starting specialists for the Steelers
Chris Boswell, kicker
Chris Boswell is one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history and he will keep his job. This is one of the toughest positions mentally in sports, but he has rebounded well after a tough season many years ago.
Pressley Harvin III, punter/Holder
Pressley Harvin III will be the punter, barring some sort of disaster in training camp. He did not play well for the most part in his rookie year but that seems to be because of some off the field matters.
Christian Kuntz, long snapper
Christian Kuntz was able to keep the kicking game on track. He did well getting the ball where it needed to be with the process going smoothly.
Mitch Trubisky will be the starter for the Steelers, at least to begin with
Mitch Trubisky will be the starting quarterback for the Steelers, at least for now. It is not known how well he will be as the main guy for Pittsburgh, but he will get the first shot. Kenny Pickett is going to have his time this season as well.
This is a proven veteran quarterback that deserves another shot at starting in this league. He has a decent cast of players around him that should give him a good chance of bringing his career back. He has been getting the reps in practice with the number one players on the depth chart each time and that is something to keep tabs on.
Coaches have been constantly saying that this will be an open competition for the starting job, but this guy is the early favorite. It might not really be much of a competition for the opening day starter against the Bengals, no matter what the coaches claim. It would take a lot for this player to lose the starting job.
He has the pedigree and a good starting record since coming into the NFL. He has played on some poor teams but has overcome that adversity as well. With a better team around him, this should be the starter for the Steelers until Kenny Pickett is ready to take over.
Najee Harris and Derek Watt will secure their starting spots
Najee Harris, running back
Najee Harris is the bell cow for the Steelers and will continue that trend in 2022. He is the best running back that they have and seem to be in better physical shape than he was during his rookie campaign. He will likely have to take most of the snaps again this year, but the hope is some help could be on the way.
The stable of backs that they have behind Harris is nothing special now. Unless Benny Snell or Anthony McFarland change things up and surprise some, this depth will not be getting any better. A veteran signing could always be in the works during the weeks leading up to training camp. As of now, the depth is a concern.
Derek Watt, full back
Derek Watt is an interesting player heading into training camp in the final year of his contract with the franchise. He has not been given much of an opportunity in an offensive role, but he has done a terrific job on special teams. Perhaps things will change this season for him on offense as he hangs onto make the final roster for the Steelers.
Competition seemed to be brought in by the drafting of Connor Heyward out of Michigan State. He played many spots in college at full back, running back, and tight end. Right now, it seems like the coaching staff sees the rookie as a tight end and that is good news for Watt.
George Pickens will win a starting gig either outside or in the slot
Diontae Johnson, receiver one
This receiving group looks good on paper and should be able to produce some solid numbers. Diontae Johnson should be primed for a big year as he looks for a hefty raise with his new contract that he is still searching for. He will prove again why he is the top receiver for the Steelers and one of the better players in the NFL.
George Pickens, receiver two
George Pickens seems ready to have a big pre-season that should win him some snaps. Finding out where to deploy him and Chase Claypool will be the talk of camp as both should be able to make plays on the outside and in the slot.
Chase Claypool, slot/receiver three
Claypool is coming off a down season in 2021, but he should bounce back this season. He is a big target that should be able to make some plays in the slot as an extra safety blanket in the middle of defenses. He lost the outside battle against Pickens as the raw athlete was able to make more plays in camp.
Pat Freiermuth, tight end
Pat Freiermuth is coming off a monster rookie year and many think he will be even better this season. He should get some attention from circles around the NFL after this year concludes with being in the top five conversation at his position.
The Steelers have three starters returning with a newly retooled group
Dan Moore Jr., left tackle
Dan Moore Jr. had a bumpy start to his NFL career before he started settling in nicely down the stretch. He earned the right to be the blindside blocker on this front for now and could get even better as time goes along.
Kevin Dotson, left guard
Kevin Dotson will battle with Kendrick Green for the starting left guard spot during pre-season. Dotson should be the favorite to win this competition as he is a solid contributor when he can stay healthy. This will be something to monitor during Steelers training camp.
Mason Cole, center
Mason Cole was one of the bigger free agency additions for Pittsburgh and it brought a veteran with position flexibility. He can play both guard and center, but it looks like the coaching staff likes him at their center spot. Kendrick Green will also try to get his name back into the starting conversation here, but it looks like Cole already won.
James Daniels, right guard
James Daniels was offered a nice contract to come to the Steel City to protect one of their new quarterbacks. He should be able to provide an immediate impact for helping this front group gel and mold into an improved line.
Chuks Okorafor, right tackle
Chuks Okorafor might be a guy that many are not thrilled with seeing a return to the Steelers after being re-signed. The honest truth is that he is still young and can get better. There were also no other options or upgrades available during free agency or at the point of the draft where they were selected.
Stephon Tuitt’s replacement will be done by committee
Cam Heyward, defensive end
Cam Heyward is still one of the top five players at what he does. He continues to be a leader for the Steelers and that will not change for as long as he wishes to suit up for this franchise. His position is locked. The issue will be finding the player that will play next to him in the trenches.
Tyson Alualu, defensive end/nose tackle
Tyson Alualu returns from a season-ending injury and will have some big shoes to fill. He will be most relied on to fill the empty spot that Stephon Tuitt left behind. It will be replacement by committee approach for this defensive front but expect Alualu to get the bulk of the snaps. It would take Isaiahh Loudermilk or DeMarvin Leal to step up to take his spot.
Chris Wormley, defensive end (when Alualu is at nose tackle)
Chris Wormley is another player that will be a part of the replacement attempt for Tuitt’s vacant spot. Wormley had a great 2021 season and should be a nice pass-rushing situational player for this defense. He is a problem when it comes to defending the run and that is one of the many reasons why this defense graded so poorly against it. He has not gotten better at that and will be a good situational player for the Steelers.
T.J. Watt, outside linebacker
T.J. Watt is the best edge rusher in the NFL after coming off one of the best seasons ever performed by a defensive player in the league. He will be searching to continue his dominance as the Steelers all-time sack leader is getting closer to him. His starting spot might be the safest out of any player on the roster.
Alex Highsmith, outside linebacker
Alex Highsmith had a decent season last time around, but the expectations seemed to make it not as great as many expected. This player needs to bring it all together for himself in his second season as the full-time starter opposite of Watt. It’s time to prove to the franchise that they do not need to worry about this position for a while.
Devin Bush, linebacker
Devin Bush is coming off a tough year, we all know that. He had another offseason to heal and has Brian Flores as his linebacker guru. This is a career year for this player, and he could slip out of the NFL soon if he cannot show enough to this franchise.
Myles Jack, linebacker
Myles Jack was a big-name free agent signing for the Steelers this offseason. He seems to be trying to find his footing in the league again as well, kind of like Bush is. He is a good player that should be able to stabilize his career back to stardom after leaving a poor Jaguars club.
Ahkello Witherspoon, cornerback one
The cornerbacks on this team are some that bring question marks with them. They are proven players in the NFL, but they have not shown enough to be trusted as true number one options for a defense. Ahkello Witherspoon seemed to show glimpses for the Steelers last season as they closed out their prior year. He should be looked at as the top dog in that positional group for now.
Levi Wallace, cornerback two
Levi Wallace was brought over from the Buffalo Bills via free agency, and he is a steady option as a number two outside cornerback. He will not be a top guy for a good defense, but he is a solid second option. Another positive is the cheap rate that he came over with during free agency. He and Witherspoon are kind of a boom or bust duo though.
Cam Sutton, slot/cornerback three
Cam Sutton has made a nice career for himself with the Steelers. He has been looking to get a chance on the outside for the club for a while now but that hope looks like it will continue further. His ability for inside coverage is the best on the team and this defense cannot afford to deploy him elsewhere.
The Steelers will field some players that have not been proven well at their starting spots in the NFL for the most part. They need to have these players put all their questions go away completely to win this season.