The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive line got two major upgrades this offseason with first-round pick Derrick Harmon and fifth-round selection Yahya Black. Black’s emergence was a bit more of a surprise, but the Iowa product has certainly already proven he can be a reliable rotational depth piece on the defensive front.
While Black’s position on the roster is more than secure, a college teammate of his is fighting for a roster spot. Logan Lee, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft, landed on IR in early September in his rookie season, so he hasn’t had too much of a chance to make a strong impression.
He’s been healthy this preseason, fighting for what is likely to be the last roster spot on the defensive line. While he hasn’t convincingly stood out against Isaiahh Loudermilk in that battle, Lee may have a strong argument to make the final roster when the dust settles later this month.
Logan Lee emerging as the smart choice for Pittsburgh Steelers’ depth
Loudermilk came into training camp with some advantages. The Steelers brought him back on a one-year deal after playing out his rookie contract. He played roughly 20% of the defensive snaps in each of his four prior seasons with the franchise, and saw steady increases in his special teams duties, playing a career high 156 snaps there last year.
Still, Loudermilk has never been too impressive when called upon, especially in the stat sheet. He has just one sack and one TFL to his credit, and both came within his first two seasons. Certainly, the Steelers have room for improvement at the bottom of the defensive line depth chart, which is where Lee’s opportunity arises.
Lee stepped up in a huge way, serving as the team’s emergency longsnapper in the preseason loss to Tampa Bay. He delivered a handful of clean snaps and proved his reliability and versatility to the coaching staff. That’s not enough to earn Lee a roster spot on its own, but it’s one aspect going in his favor.
Another may be his project status. The Steelers already know what they have in Loudermilk, and it isn’t anything too promising. Lee still has a chance to grow. With that final defensive line spot, the Steelers can afford to invest in a project like Lee to work primarily on special teams while he develops on the defensive line.
Of course, there’s also the strong possibility that the final defensive lineman on the roster doesn’t get a helmet each week, in which case, again, it’s more beneficial to have Lee on the practice field every week than to have Loudermilk floundering around.
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Overall, the benefit of having Lee on the bottom of the roster instead of Loudermilk is one the Steelers’ decision makers shouldn’t overlook. With longsnapper Christian Kuntz dealing with his sternum injury, the team could use the in-house insurance. And with Black and Daniel Ekuale taking the bulk of the rotational snaps, Loudermilk’s spot on the roster begins to look like a waste of space.
It could go either way. After all, the Steelers seem inclined to hold onto a few veterans solely for their special teams experience. Plus, if Lee doesn’t make the 53, he’s certain to land on the practice squad. But based on the current circumstances, that would seem like a fruitless decision.