Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers' path to the 53-man roster might appear cut and dry in some areas, there is plenty of room for surprises. They have one of the more creative general managers in Omar Khan, who has a knack for making bold moves. Those who have a spot on the team now should just remain focused on the job at hand, but Khan could make their roster spots more susceptible with potential upcoming transactions.
With the upcoming Supplemental Draft of Brendan Sorsby on the horizon and other potential moves that could hit the Steelers, things could change in a hurry.
New blood entering the mix anytime between now and when final decisions for the 53-man roster need to be set could alter the organization's line of thinking. No one should feel safe as they inch closer to training camp.
Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan could make moves and shakeup the 53-man roster
Quarterback (4): Aaron Rodgers, Brendan Sorsby, Will Howard, Drew Allar
Bringing in Brendan Sorsby would add a new wrinkle into the quarterback room.
Mason Rudolph would likely be the odd man out. Adding Sorsby into the mix would give Will Howard the backup role, and both Sorsby and Drew Allar would have time to marinate on the roster. This could be a clear path to keeping three moldable prospects to learn behind Aaron Rodgers before he retires.
Running back/fullback (4): Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Kaleb Johnson, Riley Nowakowski
For the most part, this group is pretty straightforward. Unless Kaleb Johnson fails to show signs of growth or Eli Heidenreich plays much better than a seventh-round pick, this will be Pittsburgh's group of backs. Riley Nowakowski is someone who will fill the fullback role, but his job isn't safe. The mid-round pick must earn every snap that could go in his direction.
Wide receiver (6): DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, Roman Wilson, Kaden Wetjen, Ben Skowronek
Barring some sort of trade or addition in free agency, this will be their wide receivers on the 53-man roster. The Steelers will benefit after Omar Khan found different ways to improve this positional group during the offseason.
When you review the current depth chart, there is probably one roster spot open, and someone would have to find a way to beat out either Roman Wilson or Ben Skowronek.
Tight end (3): Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan
He was a late addition to the roster, but Robert Tonyan has a strong case to make the team out of training camp. Tonyan has quality connections to Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers, plus his level of experience would be a nice piece to hold onto. Khan should be investigating options to potentially upgrade the depth at the tight end position, but if not, Tonyan should be good enough.
Offensive line (9): Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, Zach Frazier, Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook, Max Iheanachor, Gennings Dunker, Brock Hoffman, Cam Robinson, Broderick Jones (PUP)
Few want to admit it, but the offensive line could still have issues despite the team's continued investment in the trenches. Providing a veteran presence at the offensive tackle position, like Cam Robinson, would be a wise move. Overall, this is a strong offensive line for the Steelers; it provides quality starters and depth.
The only issue will be how players react to shuffling to new spots.
Defensive line (6): Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Yahya Black, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Dean Lowry
This would be a bit light for the number of players compared to years past for Pittsburgh. They normally keep seven, but in this scenario, they only roll with six. Ideally, one of the young defensive linemen emerges victorious with a roster spot, but there is little quality available. Dean Lowry having connections to Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers will increase his chances of making the team.
EDGE (4): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
Unless an injury happens or Omar Khan pulls off a blockbuster trade, this will be the Steelers group of edge rushers. After re-signing Nick Herbig, it appears the franchise has an immense decision to make following the season of which star edge rusher to get rid of. For now, this will be one of the best positional groups on the 53-man roster when it comes to the quality of depth from the top down.
Inside linebacker (5): Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Bobby Okereke, Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener
Here is another position group where Omar Khan should consider adding to before the regular season. Bobby Okereke is still available in free agency and could make sense. He has done nothing but produce throughout his career. Khan failed to upgrade this position during the offseason. That truth could hurt the Steelers' defense more than people might want to believe.
Secondary (9): Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, Jalen Ramsey, DeShon Elliott, Jaquan Brisker, Daylen Everette, Darnell Savage, Brandin Echols, Donovan Wilson
When it comes to the starters in the secondary, it is one of the best units Pittsburgh has seen on paper in a while. The depth behind those quality players is where Khan could get some work done, especially at safety. Donovan Wilson is someone with plenty of experience who is still a free agent.
It's a solid group right now, but they should still look to add one more safety.
Specialist (3): Chris Boswell (K), Cameron Johnston (P), Christian Kuntz (LS)
No shocking news to break with this 53-man roster prediction, as all three specialists make the team. The Steelers seem to be flirting with the idea of providing Cameron Johnston and Christian Kuntz with competition, but they are backing away from that. Unless they find a punter or long snapper to compete at training camp, this will be the group of specialists for this season.
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