Sometimes no news is good news, but in Steelers training camp, these four names need to start sticking out.
It is common every season to have a training camp player or two really start to stick out. The Steelers have already seen that this year with George Pickens and Mark Robinson shining so far in practice. That said, there are quite a few players who have yet to make much noise and as a result, are hurting their roster chances.
Here are four Steelers that have gone missing in training camp.
Chris Oladokun isn’t even taking snaps at Steelers camp
While Chris Oladokun was never going to compete as a rookie for the starting quarterback gig, the fact that he has done nothing so far is a bad sign for his future with the team. Granted, this hasn’t been his fault. The Steelers are letting their top three quarterbacks battle it out for the starting role, and each of those reps are valuable.
What has seemingly really buried Oladokun is the fact that Mason Rudolph is actually holding his own in camp. While not flashy, Rudolph has been the most consistent quarterback so far, so it is hard for the team to justify taking him off the field. This has led to Oladokun not playing a snap yet.
Considering there was buzz that the team was potentially willing to move on from Rudolph, it seems like Oladokun will now be the odd man out. It isn’t his fault that he has disappeared, but his absence is worth noting, nonetheless. Playing time may surface for him later on, but unless an injury occurs at this point, expect his stint with the team to have to continue on the practice squad.
Steelers need more out of Derek Tuszka
Brought in after cutdowns last season, Derrek Tuszka was forced into action due to the vast number of injuries at the position. While his play wasn’t anything extraordinary, he did fine as a reserve, notching two sacks after having played nearly a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps. Add in his solid and consistent effort on special teams and you had a fine backup.
The same can’t be said for the start of this season, despite having a full offseason with the team, Tuszka has been almost nonexistent so far in training camp. The only benefit he has is that the Steelers are extraordinarily short of capable edge rushers, so he naturally gets a lot of training camp snaps. That said, he hasn’t taken advantage of his opportunity yet.
The battle for the third and fourth edge rusher role is wide open, and almost no one has gotten a firm grasp on the role. Genard Avery has flashed some positive skills and Delontae Scott has looked good as a deep reserve, but no one is really sticking out. Tuszka has a golden opportunity in front of him, but currently, he is missing that chance due to his lack of an impact.
Mataeo Durant is falling behind at Steelers training camp
A name I was looking forward to watching in training camp, it has been a pretty quiet showing from the undrafted rookie running back. Mataeo Durant joined the team with a relatively wide-open depth chart behind veteran Najee Harris. While it has been a very streaky camp for the backups, Durant has been notably quiet.
Known for his speed in college, Durant looks the part of a change of pace back. With most of the veterans in front of him not being great options, there was a real chance for Durant to catch lightning in a bottle and not just earn a roster spot, but potentially carve out a role. Based on his camp production, he will be lucky to earn a practice squad spot let alone a roster spot.
Initially, it was newcomer Jeremy McNichols that began to earn some buzz when he was making plays early on. Since his injury though, it has more Jalen Warren than anyone that has made a mark. Even forgotten about Anthony McFarland has begun to flash again in camp. Durant’s quiet start isn’t a good thing, and his roster hopes seem to be disappearing as his play has just been average.
Buddy Johnson needs to take advantage of an open LB spot
A fourth-round pick from last year’s draft class, Buddy Johnson has the size and speed that you want in a linebacker. He showed off some good run defense while in school and had the traits to develop into a capable coverage linebacker. His instincts were raw though, and while his draft status earned him a roster spot last season, he won’t have that luxury this year.
To make matters worse for Johnson, he is entering an extremely crowded linebacker room that makes him far from a roster lock. Other names have been impressive, mainly rookie linebacker Mark Robinson and Robert Spillane. While Johnson can still earn a roster spot, he will be competing with some established special teams players that may earn the nod over him.
Many people were expecting Johnson to make a second-year leap starting camp, but he has yet to show much promise. While there is still plenty of time for him to turn things around, the rest of the roster is moving in front of him. He has been a non-factor for the most part, and if he continues to not pop out on tape, he likely won’t make the final roster.
The Steelers have had quite a few pleasant surprises come out of training camp so far, but these four players have seemingly disappeared. While there is still plenty of time for these players to turn things around, the early returns have not been promising for these players.