5 players who will turn heads at Steelers training camp in 2023

A returning starter at middle linebacker could make a splash in year two

Middle linebacker would not be considered a position of strength for Pittsburgh this upcoming season. Cole Holcomb seems like the top dog in that room, and that might be a slight upgrade over what the club was working with last year around this time. That does not mean that Holcomb is going to be a pro bowler, but he should be better than the options from last season.

This is still an area that the Steelers would like to add to via free agency or trade if possible. They could use an upgrade and some unexpected names could come up in talks as training camp and the rest of the pre-season pushes further. One internal option that could have some underlying hope to take a step forward in year two is Mark Robinson.

He had a rookie year that saw him make the team to mostly ride the bench for the majority of 2022. He would get some chances at a decent number of snaps later in his rookie campaign, but those were a small sample size. Robinson showed some promising things when he was on the field, but he also showed some mistakes as well.

Elandon Roberts will likely be the other linebacker in the middle next to Holcomb when the defensive schematics call for it. Robinson will have to take that next step this year if he wants a consistent role on this defense. He is a faster option than some other players at his position and does not hesitate to lay the boom when called upon.