Competition is one word that is harped on consistently during this portion of the football year. There are going to be a lot of different spots up for grabs once training camp and the pre-season process rolls around in nearly a month. The Steelers could see some changes come to a couple of different starting spots if certain rookies rise to the occasion.
It is not every year that we see a good chunk of incoming rookies have the potential to start day one. There could be a handful of these first-year players that could get a starting job if they show enough to beat out the veteran in front of them come the conclusion of the pre-season. It should be a competitive camp and stretch of games that rev up to the regular season.
A known returner could lose his job to an undrafted free agent
One player that is surprisingly still on the roster is Gunner Olszewski after he was benched early into last season. He was deemed a top returner before coming to Pittsburgh, but that has fallen off since his arrival via free agency. His job as a returner and receiver could be in jeopardy on multiple fronts this time around.
Jordan Byrd might be an underlying concern for Olszewski and his potential roster spot moving forward. Byrd is an undrafted free agent coming out of the 2023 NFL draft and has shown some explosiveness as a returner during his time at San Diego State. He could show enough on special teams to bump Olszewski off the roster and take it as his own.
The Steelers competition in the trenches could leave a starter out of the fold
One area that will be under the microscope this pre-season will be along the defensive line. There are a bunch of fresh new faces that will be pushing for different roles on this roster when the dust settles. Both defensive tackle spots will be held by Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi as long as they can stay healthy throughout the season.
Nose tackle and some depth roles will be the biggest chips to fall during training camp and leading up to the regular season. Montravius Adams has played a big role on defense the past couple of seasons as the main nose tackle. Tyson Alualu also took some snaps there as well, but he struggled after returning from injury.
Things have changed and since becoming the starter at nose tackle, not much has gone to plan for Adams. His quality of snaps has regressed significantly when you compare the kind of play, he was producing when he first arrived in Pittsburgh. The Steelers saw the lack of quality at nose tackle and depth along the defensive line, so they drafted an upgrade.
Keeanu Benton is a rookie that will get a lot of playing time during the 2023 season. He has been labeled as a run stuffer that has upside as a pass rusher. The Steelers seemed to get a nice value in the second round by selecting Benton, and he should take over the starting spot at nose tackle. Adams might not only lose his starting gig, but he will have to fight for a roster spot too.
A new left is in town and it could shake things up at both tackle spots
Not only will the defensive trenches be monitored closely throughout the pre-season, but so will their offensive counterpart. The offensive line has been the top of much scrutiny over the past several years, and the team has finally started to invest in the front. They have added free agents and started investing high draft picks into their line.
Tackle remains a question mark on both sides of the line despite both of their starters from last season returning. Broderick Jones will be the main factor in who starts week one and where they could line up. If the rookie, which the Steelers traded up to get, starts week one then that could spell disaster for one of the returning starters from last year.
Jones would be the starter at left tackle, which means Dan Moore Jr. would be losing the spot that he's been starting at for the last couple of seasons. Moore has been practicing some at right tackle and that could lead to another competition between him and Chuks Okorafor for the starting spot on the right side of the line.
So not only could Moore lose his job on the left side, but Jones starting could have a reverberating effect on the depth chart entirely. Moore could win the starting spot over Okorafor and that would leave the long-time veteran as one of the most expensive swing tackles in the game of football. The Steelers are in a positive situation with their tackles, even though there are no clear-cut answers at this juncture.
A seventh round corner could cause for one of the Steelers starters to sit
One player that has stood out during the early portions of the pre-season process has been Cory Trice Jr. The seventh-round pick of the Steelers in their most recent draft class has been making waves ever since his draft day slide. Both he and Joey Porter Jr. have gotten quality reviews ever since they put on the black and gold colors for the first time.
The outcome of where Patrick Peterson ends up playing in the secondary will affect plenty of starting spots. Porter will likely have a starting gig cemented at one of the outside cornerback spots. Peterson will either end up at the opposite outside spot of Porter or play in the slot. His ending up in the slot and adding good snaps there would be the best outcome.
If Peterson does end up in the slot, that means there is an opening for the opposite outside corner spot for the taking. Levi Wallace would likely begin as the starter there initially but do not rule out Trice as a possibility. He is a long corner and someone that could mirror Porter well. Both have similar play styles that the Steelers like.
There are plenty of other names on the roster that could challenge Wallace for that opening beyond Trice that include James Pierre and Luq Barcoo. Trice might be the best size of this group and his college tape should have landed him three rounds earlier at the latest. This could be a steal for Pittsburgh if Trice keeps on the path that he is on.