Steelers football is finally back as they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week one of the pre-season schedule. They will hit the road to hot and humid Florida to try and do their best to show some positive things across their lineup. All healthy starters will suit up, and many fans will be watching those players closely are many unknowns remain.
There will be plenty of players to keep an eye on, from the bottom of the roster guys to the starters that try and show some quality snaps. It is unknown how those snaps will be divided up between the players heading into this game. Most of that decision making might come from the success or struggles of the starting group.
The Steelers top pick in the draft will get a lot of attention against the Bucs
Most eyes naturally gravitate towards the first-round pick of the Steelers heading into the first week of the pre-season. Broderick Jones will eventually become the top tackle on the left side for this team, but it still might be a while. Jones is listed as the backup left tackle behind Dan Moore Jr. on the most recent depth chart released by the team.
There should be some interesting matchups going up against Jones from this Bucs front. They have some quality pass rushers both at starting spots and depth roles too. Jones will have his hands full in his first experience in an NFL game atmosphere. Keep a close eye on the rookie tackle as he tries to find different ways to try and win the starting spot.
A new addition at linebacker should make some plays this pre-season
It is closing in on the two-week anniversary since Kwon Alexander put pen to paper and officially signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was brought in for an official visit during his free agency process earlier in the process until things became official. It is unknown why the team took so long to sign Alexander as it made sense for him to join the roster.
Perhaps Alexander was waiting for a better opportunity elsewhere, but nonetheless, he is now wearing black and gold. He has not gotten a lot of experience with the team as his stay in the Steel City seems like a mere vacation at this point. Time heals all wounds and that is going to be the same case with Alexander as he learns this defense.
Despite only being with the team for under two weeks upon writing this article, he has seen reps with the second and sometimes first team defense in practice. He is listed as a backup behind Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts for the time being. If things keep progressing at this rate it is entirely possible that Alexander sees significant snaps at linebacker this year.
The battle at middle linebacker will be interesting to watch along the way. Holcomb is likely the three-down linebacker with all of Alexander, Roberts, and Mark Robinson battling for snaps at the second spot. All three-play kind of a similar style that stuffs the run. Robinson should be a favorite to take over Robert’s spot, but Alexander has already started off hot from day one.
Darnell Washington should be able to stand out at tight end for Pittsburgh
Connor Heyward is an interesting player that has seen snaps at all different kinds of positions on offense. He has been utilized at tight end, fullback, and running back as of late. He is currently the top fullback option for the Steelers and is listed as the third string tight end behind Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry for the time being.
That pushed rookie third-round pick Darnell Washington down to the fourth option on the opening depth chart. Pittsburgh wants their rookies to earn their snaps and it is more than likely that Heyward will become more of a gadget player for this offense. That will then allow for Washington to at least slide into the third spot at tight end sometime soon.
It was a slow start to training camp for Washington as the rookie seemed to not understand the game without the pads on. Those first couple of days where the Steelers do things without pads on seem to make different players show up or struggle during that period. Those roles sometimes reverse when pads come on and practices get more physical.
Washington could not produce until the pads came on and has started to make plays since then. He has seemingly toyed with defenders and catches nearly every contested throw coming in his direction. With him being lower on the depth chart right now, he should be able to get open often while he is on the field.
As long as Nick Herbig is healthy, he should put on a show this week
It has been a couple of practices since Nick Herbig was out with an injury to his hip. He seems to be back to a new bill of health as practices start to ramp up. He was able to put on a show during the practices before his injury occurred. With little depth behind the top four outside linebackers, Herbig was a welcome addition back on the field.
Things have been moving in a positive direction for the four-round pick out of Wisconsin. He has been able to beat first team tackles and the depth players behind them. He has done a good enough job at training camp to be named on the second team during the initial depth chart release. It's nothing too surprising, but some thought he wouldn't start there.
T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are the two starters on the edge for the Steelers. That will not change unless an unforeseen injury were to occur. The depth behind the two is good right now with the likes of Markus Golden and Herbig behind them. If any of those get hurt then this position could need someone else on the team despite Quincy Roche sitting behind them.
Herbig has been able to prove that he could earn snaps on defense during his rookie season at some point. He has beaten a lot of starters in camp and those behind them. Keep an eye on him when he comes onto the field as he should be able to feast on these depth tackles of Tampa Bay. He has proven to be a quality piece early and that should continue further.
All eyes will be on the Steelers starting quarterback this pre-season
No matter how you look at this game, all eyes will be focused on the starters during this contest. Kenny Pickett will always have a magnify glass over him and the potential of his progress in year two in the league. Fans are expecting a jump in his second go-around, and he should be able to help this offense show signs of improvement.
Mike Tomlin just had his first press conference leading up to this game against the Bucs and did not set a snap count for the quarterback. He wants to go based off performance and stated that younger quarterbacks normally need more pre-season snaps. Pickett has shown signs of improvement in training camp during the early goings of this process.
The NFL is a quarterback driven league and if you don't have a good one then your team is going to suffer the consequences. It is unlikely that the Steelers show much of their offensive scheme in this game, but they will hopefully show signs of moving the ball down the field consistently. plays will probably be simple, and it will be up to the players to make plays happen.
No matter what position people are interested in watching in this first pre-season game of 2023, quarterback will be on top of their list. Pickett is the closest thing to a direct link to the outcome of Pittsburgh's upcoming season as anyone on the team. It is either sink or swim with the Pitt product and the club believes they will finish at the top.
Look out for an offensive lineman showing some versatility for Pittsburgh
Pickett might be the top guy that everyone is searching for against Tampa, but there is underlying excitement for another player. Many have scolded Kendrick Green's ability as a depth offensive lineman on this team since he was a starting center a few years ago. Things have seemingly changed since training camp started up.
The coaching staff of the Steelers has found a potential way to create even more position flexibility for Green moving forward. He has not been the best at either center or guard during his time with the team, but he has shown the willingness to try. That has led to his new potential option of being a fullback with this club moving forward.
Connor Heyward will likely get the bulk of the snaps there but don't count out Green just yet. Perhaps some jumbo packages for a short yardage run would be the best chance for Green to get on the field at the position. We have seen him catch passes and get handoffs during practices up at Saint Vincent College.
He will likely stick in the trenches for most of the game but expect him to get some looks in certain situations if they arise. Green might not be the best player that the team has, but they highly value position flexibility when they make final decisions on their roster. If Green can show to be a solid option at fullback that could create for three different positions that he could potentially play.