The Steelers need to see how their internal competitions play out in camp before deciding on their starting lineup.
The Steelers are now away from the team facility as they are on break. They have until their report day in Latrobe to have some time for themselves. They will continue to work out away from the club and on their own until training camp arrives.
It is always an interesting portion of the year as many players will be in different scenarios that they will play out on the fields of Saint Vincent College. Some will be fighting for a shot just to stick around for another day and others will be pushing just to show enough to stick around on the 53-man roster. Other players will fight for starting jobs or lose and sacrifice a depth role for 2022.
There are always the star players that do not get a ton of attention during this time as their spots are locked up. Looking at these internal competitions is always fun and lets the fans know that football is back. In just a couple of weeks, these players will be showing the coaches who deserves the starting spots in the lineup.
Steelers need to decide who will win the starting left guard spot
Many did not think that the left guard spot on the offensive line would be open to competition. Kevin Dotson has done a nice job there, but injuries continue to be a concern with him during his young NFL career. He will be challenged for his starting spot even though most believe that he will win this battle.
Kendrick Green will be the man trying for the upset and winning a starting spot here in camp. He had a bad rookie year at center, but perhaps switching back to a more natural spot at guard will help his game. He is mobile and athletic, but he has not been able to show the power that most offensive linemen need in the game.
Steelers need to decide who will start opposite of Cam Heyward
Cam Heyward is back and will be one of the two starting defensive ends for this defense until he retires. Tyson Alualu will be the starting nose tackle, but many questions remain about the other defensive end spot. That is now vacant after Stephon Tuitt decided to retire early in the pre-season process.
Many have expressed their opinions on who should get the start at the opposite spot of Heyward and there are some good theories. Alualu could win the spot and play nose tackle when he is called upon, then another player could play end on those downs. That would lead to a second-place competition to play that role when needed.
Chris Wormley and newly signed Larry Ogunjobi seem like they will also have legitimate cases to push for the starting spot opposite of Heyward. The three of Wormley, Alualu, and Ogunjobi will have the best shot to prove themselves for the starting gig. They all have starting experience and have shown the ability to fill that kind of void.
As everything stands right now, Alualu seems like the early favorite to start opposite of Heyward but will move to nose he has to. That will then have Wormley or Ogunjobi start at end while Aluau is at nose tackle. Ogunjobi would be the favorite for that job, but that will all depend on his health.
Steelers need to figure out where their receivers will lineup
The receivers for the Steelers have plenty of young faces entering the fold in 2022. Names like JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and Ray-Ray McCloud have all left the franchise during this past off-season’s free agency process. That was a lot of depth and starting capable players to leave this group all at once.
Now this position group will have younger players entering the fold with hopefully positive results. Diontae Johnson is still the number one option for this offense as he enters the final year of his contract. Chase Claypool would seem to be the other outside option for this offense, but that is where things could get interesting.
There is a lot of talent in this room with a ton of potential that could play out nicely for Pittsburgh. Claypool and George Pickens seem like they will fight for both the starting outside spot and the slot position. Both are equally important to this offense but are totally different roles.
Many still see Claypool as winning the second outside spot because of his size, despite that strength potentially helping him in the slot. Pickens has shown the ability to go out and high point the ball in practice, but he is also a tough player. Other receivers could also get looks in camp but these two seem like they will help define where the dice land for the starting three.
Steelers will have a battle at center to figure out
The Steelers drafted Kendrick Green to replace Maurkice Pouncey after he retired. The issue was that Green did not play a ton of center in college and the club wanted him to plug into that spot and become the immediate starter. That did not work out too nicely as Green struggled to adjust to the NFL game during his rookie campaign.
The second-year man out of Illinois will have a shot at redemption at center and left guard to regain a starting spot. Center seems like the more realistic opportunity for him to come away with as the starter. He has more NFL experience there and has been training with Pouncey during the offseason.
Mason Cole will be his competition heading into training camp as the veteran has already gotten the bulk of the starting snaps. That is not a good sign if you are Green as you see a free agent signing a contract that pays him well and he already got the reps with the first stringers. This competition still has a lot road in front of it as these two will battle for the right of starter.
Pittsburgh seems to like Cole a lot and rewarded him with a nice contract. This is his job to lose, but do not count out Green just yet. None of these two can hide their warts, but they can make their best qualities show. Neither will be the next Mike Webster but they could become a reliable center that plays consistently.
The quarterback competition will get the most attention in training camp
All eyes will be on the quarterback position for the Steelers from now until a long-term answer emerges. The club drafted Kenny Pickett and he seems like he will be the future starter, but it might not be till later. There are other options on this roster that seem like they will have a head start over this first-round pick.
Mitch Trubisky started a flurry of interest by the fans of this franchise when he signed in free agency. He has been labeled a bust since coming into the NFL, but this is his second chance at starting in this league. He is still young and could show his entire potential and win this job for the long haul.
The long-haul situation with Trubisky does not seem like a realistic scenario with Pickett waiting in the wings. Pickett needs to get playing time sooner rather than later as he enters the NFL at 24 years old with not much potential to coach with. There is always another sneaky option that no one wants to consider heading into training camp.
Mason Rudolph seems like he could have a shot at winning the starting job for the black and gold. Many thought he would have a great opportunity if you asked them just a handful of months ago. He is still getting reps over Pickett and seems like he could give Trubisky a run for his money if he shows the coaches enough.
The Steelers have a lot of time before training camp even begins, and that is a good thing. It will give players a period of getting ready to win starting jobs for this club.