It might just be football in shorts, but it's still football. After a long offseason without seeing NFL players in action, fans are catching their first glimpse of their new roster during organized team activities. Steelers OTAs kicked off over Mother's Day weekend and players are back for the second wave of practices.
While it's important not to read too deeply into these practice sessions, we can still take notes of some of the things we are witnessing as dozens of videos are being posted on Twitter by Steelers media. Here are three positive takeaways and two areas of concern from Steelers OTAs so far.
Jalen Warren looks explosive
I know I'm not the only one who has noticed how explosive Jalen Warren has looked in his second offseason. The former undrafted free-agent running back not only made the roster, but he had a spectacular rookie season. The former Oklahoma State running back carved out a sizeable role that nobody would have predicted prior to seeing him in action at Steelers training camp.
Now Warren looks poised to make a second-year leap. Through the first half of Steelers OTAs, Warren looks as explosive as ever running through drills, and you can tell that he's laser-focused on improving every day.
Warren looks completely jacked as he added muscle to his compact frame. In drills, Warren looks quick with added burst to his game. At this rate, he's going to be cutting off a bigger slice of the pie on Pittsburgh's offense in 2023, and he might just be one of those guys who is tough to take off the field.
Markus Golden looks the part
Markus Golden is the newest member of the team after the Pittsburgh Steelers signed the veteran pass rusher following the first wave of OTAs. Now the former second-round pick is fitting right in without a hitch.
Golden can be seen wearing the number 54 jersey and effortlessly running through drills. His experience and production as a pass rusher for the Arizona Cardinals will have younger members of the Steelers going to him for advice, as Golden has three past seasons of at least 10 sacks.
Golden matches what you see on tape. His hand fight and technique can be seen even when working with sleds and dummies, but this is how he wins. Golden has never been an elite athlete and has relied on core strength and hand placement to get the job done.
During media sessions, Golden says all the right things you want to hear. He's well aware of Alex Highsmith, and the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't going to run into another Melvin Ingram situation when it comes to playing time with Markus Golden. He's ready and willing to do whatever is asked of him.
Mark Robinson is auditioning for a bigger role on Steelers defense
Steelers fans got excited about Mark Robinson last summer after watching the rookie linebacker during the preseason. Though he's not an elite athlete, Robinson is a high-energy player who can really pack a punch coming downhill and supporting the run.
Now early in his second offseason, Robinson is turning heads at Steelers OTAs. Robinson came up with the biggest play in organized team activities so far this year -- intercepting Kenny Pickett and taking the ball to the house for a score.
The former Ole Miss linebacker isn't known for his coverage ability but plays like this will help him get on the field in 2023. As a rookie in 2022, Robinson saw just 44 snaps all season, but the fact that 37 of them came in the final two games of the season means that he was at least trending in the right direction with the coaching staff.
Some of the videos captured of Robinson so far at Steelers OTAs show him hammering the sleds hard. He's a feisty, physical linebacker who won't take his opportunities for granted. Robinson still sits behind two former team captains in newcomers Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, but he could carve out a rotation role on defense in 2023 at this rate.
Steelers WR room is crowded, no room for setbacks
Over the past several years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been relatively thin at the wide receiver position. This has forced them to call upon players like Steven Sims and Gunner Olszewski in bigger roles on offense than they should be playing. That won't be the case in 2023.
Coming into Steelers OTAs, this is a wide receiver room that consists of players like George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Allen Robinson II, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin, Anthony Miller, and Hakeem Butler. Though they aren't necessarily loaded with talent at the top, the depth is going to make it tricky for any player in the middle of the pack who suffers a setback.
One such setback has already occurred, as Anthony Miller has missed time at OTAs due to a hamstring injury. This comes after he already spent the entire 2022 season on IR with a shoulder injury.
It's often said that the best ability is availability, and if Miller can't stay on the field, he could be out of a job come September. It's nice that the Steelers have depth here, but we would like to see everyone healthy when competing so the best players can win out.
DeMarvin Leal looks like a tweener in a bad way
Something that Nick Farabaugh of Pittsburgh Sports Now pointed out is that DeMarvin Leal may have dropped some mass in his lower half. I would have to agree. Videos of Leal running through drills make him look undersized compared to his interior defensive line counterparts.
This isn't what you want to see from a player who is coming off a full offseason in an NFL weight room. Leal entered the NFL Combine last year at 6'3 7/8'' and just 283 pounds. This is largely because he played base defensive end at Texas A&M, but he's just not athletic enough to stick on the edge in the NFL.
Leal is going to have to earn his bread on the interior defensive line, so it's a bit disappointing that the doesn't look bigger or thicker than he did last year. Looks can be deceiving, and this may not be the case, but we were looking for a body transformation for a player who needs to get bigger and stronger.
My fear is that Leal is going to be a tweener in a bad way. The Steelers will continue to play him some on the edge and some inside, but he just may not have a niche if he doesn't have the speed as an edge rusher or the power necessary to hold up in the middle. Let's hope that's not the case.