With a new season and new faces come the unfortunate realities of the NFL. Some guys who have contributed to the Pittsburgh Steelers in one manner or another are likely to see their time with the franchise come to a sudden end.
With the Steelers chaotic offseason mostly over, it's time to reflect on what their flurry of moves will mean for returning players.
The defensive side of the ball has seen less drastic personnel turnover compared to the offensive side, but there are nonetheless plenty of notable names that are beginning to get buried on the depth chart. Let’s look at three defensive players who are likely to be on the way out when post-camp cuts come around.
Pittsburgh Steelers defenders who need a big training camp to remain on the roster
3. Edge, Jeremiah Moon
Jeremiah Moon is the least utilized player on this list, but his inevitable subtraction from the roster is no less notable. With Nick Herbig growing into a true rotational option with Alex Highsmith and TJ Watt, there’s not much space on the roster for more edge help now that fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer is filling Herbig’s old role as a developmental project.
Moon has yet to record a sack in his short career, though he’s played less than 200 total defensive snaps so far. He played 111 last year for Pittsburgh and added another 222 on special teams, but his nine tackles spread across both duties aren’t particularly inspiring.
The Steelers will likely only carry four edge linebackers, and barring injury or catastrophe later this summer, Moon will likely be one of the most obvious cuts.
2. Defensive Line, DeMarvin Leal
DeMarvin Leal has done all that has been asked of him, and then some. Unfortunately, it’s taken too long to find a suitable role for him in a defense where he’s too large to play on the edge and too small to play inside on the defensive front.
Now that the Steelers have first-round pick Derrick Harmon, the depth chart is really leaning against Leal. Other names like Logan Lee, Dwight Lowry, Isaiahh Loudermilk, and fifth-round pick Yahya Black have strong cases to make the roster over Leal. Black offers versatility at nose or defensive end, while Loudermilk was re-signed this offseason, giving the Steelers more incentive to preserve his spot.
That leaves a three-man race between Lee, Lowry, and Leal that could be too difficult for Leal to win. Lee and Lowry haven’t played as much football as Leal in Pittsburgh, but the patience for Leal to become a consistent presence in the defensive lineup has to be all but exhausted heading into his fourth season.
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1. Linebacker, Mark Robinson
One of the more intriguing projects on the Steelers defense in recent years, like Leal, the hourglass of patience on Robinson’s development has likely run out. Above all, though, Robinson has become so buried on the depth chart, it seems even more unlikely for him to find a spot on the roster.
The Steelers have Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson as the starters, Cole Holcomb as a returning depth veteran, and Malik Harrison as further depth who can play in short-yardage situations. Harrison has also played roughly 40 snaps more on special teams over the past two seasons than Robinson, so he’s a willing and able participant in that department while still offering more to the defensive unit overall.
With his speed, athleticism, and violent nature, Steeler fans had hoped Robinson could develop into a more complete player. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and the aggressive pursuit of upgrades above him will, in all likelihood, ultimately lead to his dismissal before the regular season begins.