After a four-practice ramp-up period mandated by the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers have finally put the pads on this week. While everything has been football in shorts so far, there has been plenty to glean from early practices.
One thing that's clear to see is the pecking order. Where players fall on the depth chart gives us an early idea of how each player is viewed by Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff. We already saw Josiah Scott fall out of favor from offseason workouts, and after being demoted to second-string early in training camp, he was recently released by the team.
We know that the team will be forced to cut roughly 40 percent of their summer roster by the start of the 2024 regular season, but here are four noteworthy Steelers players who may not make it through training camp before getting the axe.
C Ryan McCollum
Ryan McCollum was one of the players most affected by Pittsburgh's 2024 draft class. Just when it looked like there could be a path to the Steelers roster this year, Omar Khan drafted a pair of interior offensive linemen: Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick.
McCollum has been running behind both Nate Herbig and Frazier early in training camp and there is no room for third-string centers on a 53-man roster -- especially those who aren't proficient as an interior swing offensive lineman. This means there may not even be enough snaps to go around during Pittsburgh's three preseason games, and McCollum could lose his job soon.
WR Quez Watkins
Theoretically, it seemed like Quez Watkins landed in a good spot in Pittsburgh where the team is desperately searching for a WR2 and WR3. Unfortunately for Watkins, he seems to be the odd man out.
After George Pickens, players like Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and Roman Wilson spent more time with the starting offense early in training camp. With a handful of slot receivers jousting for position, Watkins could be fighting to keep his football career alive.
LB Mark Robinson
The Steelers' 2024 offseason hit Mark Robinson like a ton of bricks. During the 2023 season, Robinson got a chance to show what he could do when the linebacker position was decimated by injuries. However, his performance was unspectacular and he showed his shortcomings in pass coverage.
Less than a year later, the Steelers signed Patrick Queen, drafted Payton Wilson and signed special teams stud Tyler Matakevich. The path to the 53-man roster looks exceedingly grim for Robinson, and he will need to ball out over the next few weeks to survive training camp.
CB Cory Trice Jr.
This one saddens me. I was a big fan of Cory Trice Jr. during the 2023 pre-draft process as the Purdue star possessed a brilliant blend of size, speed, and tape. Unfortunately, an ACL injury claimed Trice's rookie season and it already looks like he's falling out of favor with the organization.
Trice is talented, but the team has next to nothing invested in him. This will weigh into their decision whether or not to keep him on the 53-man roster. With his spot far from secure, he will need a phenomenal training camp to climb up the depth chart and prove that he's capable of a role in subpackages in 2024.