With the preseason winding down, teams are beginning to figure out their final few roster spots and who is going to occupy them. The Steelers are no exception, as their roster has changed so much since training camp opened. While they have their entrenched starters, the team also has some names that have shot up the depth chart.
These players could be pushing for starter roles, entrench themselves as backups, or they could just be pushing for a roster spot, but they have seen their stock skyrocket since training camp began. The Steelers should be thrilled because these names should be key figures for the roster this season. Here are five Steelers who have shot themselves up the depth chart.
Steelers have their slot guy in Elijah Riley
The slot defender was one of the biggest question marks for the Steelers entering the offseason. The loss of Cameron Sutton was a blow there, and while Patrick Peterson is expected to move inside on passing downs, the team was still short a slot defender for run downs.
Elijah Riley also entered camp as one of the quieter names expected to battle there. Predominantly a safety to this point in his career, Riley spent the majority of last season bouncing on and off the Steelers active roster with little to show for it. While the battle was wide open at slot cornerback, Riley was seen as a distant option to fill that void.
He has stacked some good performances both in practice and during preseason games. Because of this, he is currently in the driver's seat for this job as well as a roster spot. Going from a middling reserve to a likely spot starter is a huge jump, and Riley has seen his standing with the team improve this year.
Steelers have found a gem in Nick Herbig
While I came away impressed with the Steelers 2023 draft class, the lone pick I had a fair bit of skepticism about was Nick Herbig. I struggled to see the value in adding an undersized edge rusher when that type of player in the past has struggled (see Reed, Malik). While the thought of moving him off ball was appealing, it seemed like a risk in the fourth round.
I remained adamant in my opinion even after training camp opened. Herbig was an early winner in practice, constantly showing good burst and the ability to beat opposing tackles. Still, I thought that his size would be an issue once he is facing teams' top tackles or core backups as opposed to Le’Raven Clark.
Now, here I am singing his praises because Herbig deserves it. He has been one of if not the, best defensive players on the field in both of the preseason games so far. He has been able to wrack up sacks, force turnovers, and even set the edge on running plays. Specifically against the Bills, he was doing that against some of the starters.
While Herbig won’t contend as a starter, he has likely earned a defensive role this season as a core backup. Markus Golden is the perceived top backup, and while he has plenty of value as a steady veteran, Herbig should still be seeing the field.
Herbig went from a guy I was heavily skeptical of, to a core special teams option, to now a viable backup. Edge rusher could very well be four deep this season, a healthy change from the poor depth of seasons ago. While the depth chart jump isn’t huge, Herbig has cemented himself as a potential backup for this defense.
Steelers can play Spencer Anderson anywhere
There was an initial wave of dissatisfied fans after the team announced that Spencer Anderson was going to be their final draft pick this year. Most barely knew who he was, and following a class of notable names, Anderson was perceived as a weak spot of the class.
Upon further inspection, the value in Anderson was less due to his college tape but more due to his positional versatility. He played all over the line at Maryland, and the Steelers were hoping to get a backup player at multiple line spots when they took him to conclude their draft.
I expected to see Anderson play quite a few roles, but ultimately settle in as an interior option for this team at guard and potentially even center. As camp progressed, it was clear that the Steelers liked his ability to be a tackle, his most utilized college position. He received the occasional snap at guard, but tackle seemed like his calling.
Then the first preseason occurred, and Anderson saw time at tackle and guard. He has since followed that up with some more center work, making him a capable backup at four positional spots. That kind of versatility in a rookie is rare. It is even rarer to see Anderson hold his own at every spot he is getting snaps at.
With no backup center candidate shining, and options like Kendrick Green shooting themselves in the foot, Anderson has quickly risen through the ranks of this depth chart. He is seemingly the backup center, one of the backup guards, and an emergency center. All of that is excellent value for a seventh-round pick, and Anderson has done his part to quickly rise up the ranks with this team.
Steelers need to give Jaylen Warren more opportunities
This one is a harder one to wrap my head around, but by all accounts, Jaylen Warren has impressed this offseason. He was a camp darling a year ago and became the core backup to Najee Harris last season. While there isn’t a conventional depth chart battle, Warren has seemingly moved up some.
It started early in camp and after contact was allowed. The Steelers quickly stopped having defenses tackle both Harris and Warren akin to how they don’t allow the quarterbacks to get hit. This is to prevent injuries, but the fact that Warren was put into that category signifies that he is expected to be a significant contributor this season. No other running back was given that treatment.
His string of solid preseason games have furthered this idea. There seems to be an active debate as to who should be the true starter for this team. In reality, that seems silly, as the Steelers are set to utilize their first-ever committee backfield under the Tomlin era. Harris will be the power back and game manager while Warren will be the third down back and hurry-up offense option (for the most part, both will occasionally see snaps in this role).
That being said, I see this as Warren moving up the depth chart. He has gone from a pure backup to a bell cow now to likely seeing a close to even snap count between him and Harris. While he will still be shown as the second running back on the depth chart, I view him as a co-starter given the developments that have been made this offseason.
Steelers have a chess piece in Connor Heyward
There was a real question as to what the Steelers were getting when they drafted Connor Heyward a season ago. While listed as a tight end in school, he wore a lot of hats. From running back to H-Back to a traditional tight end, Heyward’s fit was always going to be in question. The one thing everyone was convinced of early on was his special teams ability.
Like Warren, this one is tricky, as Heyward hasn’t really moved much from his initial training camp depth chart spot. He is seemingly locked in as the third tight end, as the Steelers want their second option to be a bigger-bodied blocker. Heyward is a lot of things, but his size will always limit him there.
He also seems poised to be the fullback. That role will likely be used more as an H-Back as opposed to a traditional blocker. He can catch passes out of the backfield while still retaining his role as a hybrid tight end.
What is really intriguing is the potential of having Heyward be used as a running back. He has seen extensive time there and has even handled snaps out of that position. I won’t be surprised if the Steelers only dress two running backs on gameday and use Heyward as the third option, especially if the third running back lacks special teams value. Heyward has seen himself rise up multiple depth charts, and his versatility is set to be utilized this year.
With camp and preseason winding down, the Steelers final depth chart is close to being set. These five players have all taken significant steps forward though, and because of that, they are currently flying up the Steelers depth chart.