With the NFL preseason wrapping up, the Pittsburgh Steelers will soon make their roster cuts down to 53 players, giving fans an idea of the depth chart for the 2025 regular season.
The team could certainly be active as cuts are announced around the league, but even sticking with the players currently on the roster in a position to make the final cut, the depth chart shakes out in a rather straightforward manner.
Still, there is room for some surprises, both in who makes the roster and how much they’ll contribute. There are a few unexpected developments in this depth chart projection, most notably concerning second-round pick Kaleb Johnson, the first depth player up on the offensive line, and a few depth pieces in the defense overall.
How the Pittsburgh Steelers’ depth chart really shakes out
Quarterback: 1- Aaron Rodgers, 2- Mason Rudolph, 3- Will Howard OR Skylar Thompson
There are no surprises at the top, of course. Will Howard’s hand injury is the biggest depth chart story at quarterback since Howard seemed to have won the third-string job. Since Howard hit the injury list, though, Thompson has played well in the preseason games.
If Howard is cleared to return before the final cuts to the 53, there’s a chance he gets his spot back on the depth chart. If the team has to put him on IR instead, Thompson is the next man up until Howard returns, by which point the Steelers will have to decide on the former Miami Dolphin’s future with the team.
Running Back: 1- Jaylen Warren, 2- Kaleb Johnson, 3- Kenneth Gainwell
Based on preseason usage, it’s clear Jaylen Warren will be the lead back for Pittsburgh with Kaleb Johnson and Kenneth Gainwell working in situationally from one series to the next. Johnson picks up tough interior yardage, and Gainwell plays some third-down back when Warren needs a breather.
Fans likely expected Johnson to get a larger share of the opportunities out of the backfield, but his underwhelming performance so far in the preseason points toward a slower build throughout the season.
Wide Receiver: 1- DK Metcalf, 2- Roman Wilson, 3- Calvin Austin III, 4- Ben Skowronek, 5- Brandon Johnson
Availability is the best ability on the depth chart. Roman Wilson has surged in Calvin Austin III's absence. In my book, Wilson has snagged the WR2 job.
Certainly, the Steelers like both players, and they should rotate in plenty while seeing similar target shares throughout the season. But with the anticipation that three receivers won’t be on the field together often, with tight end Jonnu Smith in the slot, Wilson should lead the snap share between the two young wideouts.
Because Wilson and Austin are similarly built and Skowronek is primarily a blocker and special teams contributor, Brandon Johnson has a roster case as a larger body over Scotty Miller. The third-year receiver out of UCF makes for solid depth behind DK Metcalf with a bit more size on the perimeter.
Tight End: 1- Pat Freiermuth AND Jonnu Smith, 2- Darnell Washington, 3- Connor Heyward
The tight end depth chart might be the most useless waste of pixels on the internet. All four of these guys are going to play a lot, though Washington and Heyward will see the fewest snaps. Still, each serves a defined purpose in the offense, so as long as they stay healthy, there will be plenty of work for all four tight ends to put in a productive season, even if Smith and Freiermuth are the ones dominating in the stat sheet.
Offensive Line: 1s (left to right)- Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Troy Fautanu, 2s- Andrus Peat, Ryan McCollum, 3s- Spencer Anderson, Calvin Anderson
The starting five has been locked in all offseason long. It’s the depth that has eyebrows raised in Western PA. Andrus Peat makes the most sense as the team’s top swing guard and tackle. His veteran experience and solid play since joining the team should lock him into that spot for the regular season. Ryan McCollum doesn’t appear to be in any danger of losing the backup center job.
The Andersons, Calvin and Spencer, have enough position flexibility to fit at guard or tackle in an emergency. Expect Spencer to get the first nod of the two, especially if it’s at tackle.
Defensive Line: 1s- Cam Hewyard, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, 2s- Yahya Black, Daniel Ekuale, 3- Logan Lee
The starting three are no surprise, but the depth sure is. The Steelers have lacked quality depth on the defensive line interior for some time, but Yahya Black and Daniel Ekuale appear to be solid rotators in the front. Black can play at all three positions, while Ekuale will likely be the primary reserve for Keanu Benton at nose. Still, all five of those guys can contribute well inside.
Logan Lee is on the roster bubble with Isaiahh Loudermilk, but it’s certainly possible the former Iowa Hawkeye wins out. After all, Lee is a younger player with more room to develop. Plus, serving as the emergency longsnapper, he might have some extra value on special teams that Loudermilk can’t provide.
Edge: 1s- T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, 2- Nick Herbig, 3- Jack Sawyer
The biggest storyline here is Jack Sawyer because of the concerning injury history of all three players ahead of him on the depth chart. Sawyer’s preseason has been hit or miss, but mostly a miss, especially as a pass rusher. If Sawyer has to step in for an extended period due to injury, the Steelers will be in trouble on the edge.
It’s not as though keeping DeMarvin Leal around on the edge would help solve that problem either. Pittsburgh’s defense needs Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig to stay healthy.
Linebacker: 1s- Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, 2- Cole Holcomb, 3- Malik Harrison, 4- Carson Bruener
It will certainly be interesting to see how Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison rotate in on defense. Both have played remarkably well in the preseason. Still, Holcomb seems more like injury insurance than anything since he doesn’t offer more in the pass or run game than either starter. Harrison will fit in on the goalline and short-yardage situations, but otherwise will primarily play special teams.
As for Carson Bruener, it seems more valuable to invest in him as a long-term project on defense while giving him special teams snaps than to hold onto Mark Robinson for another year. Hopefully, with four players ahead of him, he doesn’t sniff the field for defense, though.
Cornerback: 1s- Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, 2s- Brandin Echols, Beanie Bishop Jr., 3- James Pierre
The cornerback depth chart got more difficult to project when defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Beanie Bishop needs to fight to make the roster. From what most of Steelers Nation can tell, Bishop has turned in a fine preseason after getting passed over for Jalen Ramsey in the slot. There’s value in keeping Bishop in town, playing special teams, and learning from these veteran corners. Maybe Austin was just motivating his guy publicly.
Echols serves as the outside backup for Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay. Of course, he’ll mostly be called upon for special teams use as long as everyone is healthy. He played over 700 special teams snaps in his four seasons with the Jets.
James Pierre is probably hanging onto his job as a special teams gunner over Cory Trice Jr. Trice’s injuries are too much to overlook, and Pittsburgh will value Pierre’s experience with some new faces on special teams.
Safety: 1s- DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, 2- Chuck Clark, 3- Miles Killebrew
Juan Thornhill has had a solid preseason, giving fans a bit more comfort at the free safety position. Still, he’s likely the only true free safety who will be on this roster, so his health will be critical as the season unfolds.
Chuck Clark and Miles Killebrew are both primarily strong safeties but have some position flexibility on the back end. Clark should be the first to step up since Killebrew is the team’s special teams ace.
Special Teams: Chris Boswell, Cameron Johnston, Christian Kuntz
So long as Christian Kuntz is healthy, he’ll be the starting longsnapper. There’s a shot he’s good to go for Week 1, but even if he’s not, it shouldn’t be too long before he’s back in his spot. It’s worth noting, Kuntz hasn’t missed a game since taking over as the Steelers' longsnapper in 2021.
The other noteworthy specialist storyline is the training camp battle at punter between Cameron Johnston and Corliss Waitman. It’s a tighter battle than initially expected, but Johnston still holds the edge and should keep the job he lost due to injury last season.