4 takeaways from first Steelers training camp practice

Steelers WR Chase Claypool was playing in the slot

This is something I have been begging to see more of since early in the 2021 season. Chase Claypool struggled outside the hashes and down the field last year as he and Ben Roethlisberger just couldn’t seem to connect regularly.

When he played from the slot, however, Claypool was actually quite effective — showing off his ability to box defenders out down the seem and displaying his long speed after the catch. Though his snaps were sparing from the slot, he did show promise.

Now it appears that Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff have heard our cries. In the first Steelers training camp practice of the year, Nick Farabaugh of Pittsburgh Sports Now noted that Claypool played a lot of snaps from the slot.

Obviously, the third-year receiver needs to prove that he can make an impact in this area if he wants to have a big role here in 2022, but it’s an encouraging sign. If Claypool is capable of handling slot duties, it could allow the Steelers to get their best players on the field in ’11’ personnel with Diontae Johnson and George Pickens on the outside.

This is just a small taste of what’s to come this year, but we can all certainly sink our teeth into Steelers training camp content. We will continue to monitor practices and keep you up to date.