With the Steelers now officially preparing for week one of the season, their roster is just about set. Some minor moves may occur from now to week one but expect this roster to be close to set for week one.
While expectations are high for quite a few players, and understandably so, there are some other, less heralded names I wanted to point out. These names may not even be every-down starters, but I think they could surprise this season. These five Steelers could prove to be hidden gems for the team this season.
Steelers hidden gem #1: Kwon Alexander
Kwon Alexander was a bit of a surprise this offseason. It was a minor shock to hear when he was visiting the team after the draft. The signing also came as a shock, since his visit had come and passed and the Steelers had made more moves to the linebacker room since then. He signed early after training camp opened and inserted himself into the linebacker battle right away.
While Alexander won’t be playing over Cole Holcomb, I do think that he will have a bigger impact on this team than many expect him to have. While Elandon Roberts will also factor into the equation, Alexander was quick to make an impact in practice and during the preseason.
He provides a vocal leader that this position hasn’t had in quite a few seasons. Add in his experience and ability to still make an impact and you have a strong contributor. I expect a lot of surprises from the linebacker group this season, but I think Alexander could prove to be one of the more impactful signings for this team.