Training camp is in full swing across the NFL as the world seems to get a bit happier this time of year for fans of football. The air is still hot, but the brush of chill fall air is just around the corner, and that means it is about time for football. The Steelers are back at their roots at Saint Vincent College, which will be their home for the next several weeks.
Each practice will provide a new storyline as this next month will be a grind to the finish line for these players. They will do their best to turn a good snap into a good practice and into a good game. They have a lot left to prove and they will have plenty of time to show what they got. Pittsburgh is dying for some football, and they will keep their eyes focused on camp.
A big target on offense has been able to use size to his advantage
One of the more interesting additions this past offseason was adding Hakeem Butler from the XFL. He proved to be a big receiver that can use that to his advantage during this past season with the St. Louis Battlehawks. He was invited to the club on a tryout basis before he was eventually signed to a contract to have a chance at making the roster.
Butler has been able to use his size to his advantage in practices thus far and make some plays on offense. He will need to carry that further into week two and beyond to push for a roster spot when it is all said and done. He will seemingly have to knock Miles Boykin off the team if he has an actual chance of making it.
A potential utility player for the Steelers offense has been everywhere
Trying to find a way to stick out on a team is sometimes hard, but it can also have unique circumstances behind that cause. Connor Heyward is the younger brother of Cam Heyward, which immediately puts him in the spotlight. He was able to carve out a role for himself on last year's team, but he will have to readjust himself in year two.
Heyward was able to apply himself in the tight end room during his rookie year and gained some targets in his direction. Kenny Pickett seems to trust him since they formed a connection in last year's training camp. The Steelers were ridiculed when they took the younger Heyward brother in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he has put those issues to rest.
His role is expanding, and the coaches seem to be comfortable moving him around to see what he can do. It seems like Heyward could be a Swiss-army-knife kind of player that moves around to three positions or more on offense. He has also been a solid contributor on special teams, which only makes his cause for the final roster more valuable.
Heyward has seen time as a fullback early in camp and has also seen some alignments as a true running back, which he played at Michigan State. He continues to work with the tight end room as well, but he has been given chances elsewhere. It seems like he will primarily be a fullback option, but he will line up over this offense when needed.
Flexibility is one way to find a way on the roster especially as a defensive back
Availability is the best ability of a football player, especially when it comes to this time of year. Coaches and the front offices around the league are looking for players that could fill a couple of spots on their roster if needed. If a player can play special teams and fill different roles on the club if injuries were to occur, then that only heightens their chances of making it.
There have been a few defensive backs that have stood out in the early practices at training camp thus far. Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice have both made plays during the early goings of their rookie campaigns. Even Kenny Robinson has seen practices that have made an impression on those in attendance.
One name that has been enjoying a strong schedule leading up to training camp is Elijah Riley. He stuck around the team last year and is trying to gain a roster spot and hopefully, some playing time too. He is primarily a safety but is working on his possibility of becoming a slot corner for this defense.
The more hats that you can wear will always help a player's cause to make the final roster when it becomes finalized. Riley has a good chunk of NFL experience and should be able to press for a roster spot and potentially a larger role. If he can prove to be a solid safety and contribute to the slot role, then his chances will increase significantly.
It has been another strong start to the pre-season for a known veteran receiver
This time last year brought along the early favorite of Calvin Austin III as the potential camp darling to start. His injury ended up being season ending allowing for other receivers to get an expanded role on the roster. Gunner Olzewski was the veteran free agent addition at the time that many thought would make an impact as a returner heading into the pre-season last year.
He would impress throughout camp and simulated games as both a returner and a receiver. He played well enough to gain a bigger role in the Steelers offense heading into the first couple weeks of the regular season. Unfortunately for Olszewski, the regular season did not go too well for him, and he lost most of his roles on this club.
Some thought that Olszewski could have been a cap casualty heading into the most recent offseason. It would have saved the club some spending change, but they decided to keep a proven returner on their roster that can potentially come back to form. With Austin back in the fold too, it will be interesting to watch this position battle play out.
Right now, Olszewski is having one of the best camps by any receiver that plays for Pittsburgh when you look at the stats. He is having another strong camp and could be having another repeat of last year. With Austin in the fold and others potentially showing their abilities as a returner and receiver, Olszewski needs to have the best pre-season of his life.
The Steelers might have found a diamond in the rough in their recent draft class
The black and gold's 2023 draft class has been heralded as one of the best in the NFL. There were some quality selections made on paper that seem to be steals on the surface. As of now, it is a mixed bag of results for these rookies as they try and figure out the league. One rookie that has impressed thus far in training camp is Nick Herbig.
He might even be up for camp darling right now, which is a fake award handed out to the best participant at camp. The Steelers have one of the better outside linebacker rooms from their star studded tandem to a veteran that can play a key role. Herbig was a player that many had question marks about, but he is starting to answer them.
A fourth-round pick coming out of Wisconsin, this outside linebacker was expected to take a year before contributing on defense. That thought process might still be the plan of action unless his stellar start to camp runs the entire way through the pre-season. Herbig has been able to make some of these experienced tackles look like fools.
If things continue to move forward in a positive direction, then it is possible that Markus Golden has some of his snaps on defense pulled back. Herbig has been getting second team reps out of the gate and that means he is a lock to make this roster, which comes as no surprise. Keep a close eye on those daily training camp reports and if Herbig had another good practice.
It seems like it is finally time for this running back to put everything together
If we divided up camp darling into one for defense and the other for offense there would be two winners right now. Herbig would likely be the defensive recipient with the quality practices he has produced. The one of offense would likely be Anthony McFarland Jr. as he tries to make the roster as their third string back.
It has been a struggle for McFarland to stick on the roster coming out of training camp since entering the league. Benny Snell Jr. normally took his spot because of the effective snaps that he provided covering special team plays. McFarland was always more of a kick returner, but that was never enough for the coaches to keep him over Snell.
With Snell now gone and Alfonzo Graham announcing his season-ending injury recently, the pathway for McFarland to make the team is freshly paved. He has been making a lot of eye-popping runs with the lower depth chart players on offense. This is the time for this back to finally make some plays or find another profession.
This is the third season for the former fourth-round selection out of the 2020 draft class for the Steelers. He has always shown bursts of speed and arguably should have made the roster last year over Snell with the quality of play he had shown. Everything is lining up perfectly for McFarland to make the roster this year, but he needs to continue this momentum going forward.