A lot of the roster battles and questions that the Pittsburgh Steelers had before training camp have already started to be answered. Most of those answers have come from injuries as opposed to actual top-level play of certain players.
We’ve seen Connor Heyward claim a stranglehold on the fourth tight end spot because of injury, while Mark Robinson has popped at camp making him a safe bet to be the fifth linebacker on the roster.
However, the defensive line is filled with competition, but that shouldn’t keep this veteran around for long.
After Dean Lowry was placed on IR due to an injury at camp, the Steelers brought back a familiar face to fill his roster spot. Interior defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko rejoined the Steelers Saturday after spending 2023 and 2024 bouncing between their practice squad and active roster.
Fehoko has reportedly dropped weight to be a more athletic version of himself, but his odds of sticking on the roster beyond camp are long, to say the least.
Pittsburgh Steelers need to move forward with younger options than Breiden Fehoko
The top three names along the line have been set since the draft. While Derrek Harmon has progressed far quicker than anyone expected, the expectation had always been that he would be the starter sooner rather than later.
After those three is Daniel Ekuale. Signed to a multi-year deal, Ekuale was always on the inside looking out. While he can play defensive end, the Steelers have been using him as their backup nose tackle in camp. He is cemented as the fourth lineman and depth at every spot.
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Isaiahh Loudermilk has been his usual self, while Yahya Black has flashed real versatility and playmaking ability. Both appear safe at this point with paths to playing time.
If you are keeping score at home, that is already six defensive linemen accounted for. While not a guarantee, it seems likely that Pittsburgh holds onto seven defensive linemen. That seventh name will spend most of the season as a weakly inactive.
See the issue? A veteran like Fehoko doesn’t make sense for that final spot, especially since he was only brought in due to the Lowry injury.
If this group were extremely young from top to bottom, it would be one thing. Having an experienced veteran like Fehoko, even as an inactive depth piece, is worth it. This group doesn’t have that problem.
Cam Heyward is the senior member, while Ekuale has also been around the block. Even Loudermilk has experience now in his fifth season.
While a slimmed-down Fehoko could be a different player than the plodding nose tackle he has been in the past, the investment in this group is already paying off. Since it is, there isn’t a need for him anymore, and the Steelers can safely move on once they have the defensive line rotation set in stone.