The Pittsburgh Steelers' initial 53-man roster had many expected names featured on it, but things look odd even at first glance. All four quarterbacks are currently on the roster, with Skylar Thompson and the injured Will Howard both sticking around for now. A whopping eight defensive linemen made it as well, but just eight total defensive backs opposed to the at least nine, if not more, that many expected.
It's obvious that a few players are not long for the roster, whether it's due to impending Injured Reserve moves or outright cuts to make room for new additions.
The question now, if you are a fan, is just how big the next wave of moves will be for Pittsburgh. Omar Khan has been more aggressive this offseason than ever before, so fans could be in for an interesting next few days as the roster is fully finalized.
Pittsburgh Steelers could have big plans after strange initial 53-man roster construction
Four names stick out as surprises when looking a the current roster: QBs Will Howard and Skylar Thompson, rookie corner Dont Kent, and interior defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo. The choice to keep both Thompson and Howard seems clear, as it's expected that the Steelers will place Howard on IR with a return designation.
Kent could be in the same boat, but that is less clear considering he appears ready to return at this point. Whether he sticks on the roster or not, another move at defensive back is sure to be coming. The most surprising name, however, is Otomewo. Keeping eight interior defenders as of Week 1 simply isn't going to happen, so his time on the 53-man roster is almost certainly limited.
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With the current construction of the roster, it's clear that any potential big trade or signing will be for a defensive back. Whether it's at cornerback or safety, I expect the Steelers to be looking around for potential upgrades for relatively cheap. With just three safeties on the roster after the release of veteran Chuck Clark, my money is on that spot.
The big name that has been floated as a trade option is Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, but he may be redundant with the physical DeShon Elliott already entrenched as the team's box safety. Perhaps a veteran like Justin Simmons could be in play, but he didn't look like his old self in 2024 with the Falcons.
A move at wide receiver could also still make sense with just five currently on the roster. Keeping just five wasn't a surprise, necessarily, but it does offer flexibility to add another player into the mix there. Jakobi Meyers is the biggest name being floated as a potential trade target, but that move won't be cheap.
Overall, it looks like things are far from settled with the Steelers roster at this point. Buckle up for a potentially wild next few days.