Another week of competition in the XFL has wrapped up and that means there were some interesting performances that occurred. Not as much domination by certain players as week one, but there were still some that stood out among that pack. The Steelers should be keeping a close eye on the talent in this league when it comes to filling out the remainder of their roster.
Expecting a starter to come out of this newly reformed league should not be in consideration. Even though there might not be many options to fill a starting role in the NFL, there are plenty that can challenge and fill depth roles. Pittsburgh should be looking at the XFL in that aspect as they look for talent on their roster for the 2023 season and beyond.
Steelers could be keeping a close eye on some punters in the XFL
Trying to get the punter position right is something that the Steelers have rarely accomplished. Pressley Harvin III has not been consistent enough to be the sure-fire starter for this team going forward. The black and gold need to exhaust all their options in the search of competition for their starting punter position.
Marquette King makes another appearance on talent in the XFL that could interest the Steelers. He performed better in week two and gets a lot of opportunities to show his skillset with the lack of offense on his team. Brad Wing was once employed by Pittsburgh and could come back around if he keeps on his path from week two of the league after almost averaging 50 yards per punt over the weekend.
Tim Ward and Trent Harris are the stars of the XFL right now
Sometimes when you watch a football game, you can tell that some players are just flat-out better than everyone else. The same could be said for both Tim Ward and Trent Harris of the Houston Roughnecks. They have a tremendous defensive minded coach, Wade Phillips. Their team has been the best in the league thus far.
Ward is one of the edge rushers in this club and he continued his destructive outing from week one to week two. He only added a sack this past weekend, but that now adds his total to three on the season. Ward has a high motor and would be an interesting addition to the Steelers depth during the pre-season process. Giving him an opportunity to shine with the size and athletic ability he has shown to this point seems like a no-brainer.
Another edge rusher on Houston with extreme talent is Harris. He totaled four sacks last week and added another half sack against the Arlington Renegades. You can tell he has NFL talent and should be in the league in some compacity. Pittsburgh should look to sign either Ward or Harris to compete for one of their final depth spots on the upcoming roster in training camp. The need at outside linebacker is there for Pittsburgh and they should not look past the XFL for some options.
Abram Smith could be a third running back option for the Steelers
Running back is not getting a lot of attention when it comes to being a need this offseason. The Steelers have Benny Snell Jr. as a pending free agent and it seems about time to move on from their former draft pick. He has not worked out one reason or another and finding a replacement could be found rather easily and at a cheaper rate.
Snell not only could get into the fold at the position, but he was also able to cover kicks and punts on a routine basis. The Steelers will be on the hunt for that in their next free agent signing or draft selection for Snell's replacement. That is where Abram Smith of the XFL enters the fold as he likely caught the eye of many NFL scouts in attendance this past weekend.
Abram was able to lead the D.C. Defenders offense from his rushing performance that saw him total over six and a half yards per carry for a total of 71 yards. The rushing attack is what got the Defenders out of Las Vegas with a victory. Abram will need to show more consistency over the remaining eight games of the season before his NFL stock reaches a high point.
Brandon Silvers could be a good depth option at quarterback for Pittsburgh
The early goings have not been great for the quarterbacks in the XFL. Brandon Silvers has been the most consistent overall and has allowed his offense to throw the ball down the field, which many groups in this league seem afraid of. He has not been elite, but he has been consistent enough that it has made a noticeable impact.
Houston is the best club in the league right now and that is part of Silvers taking advantage of the defense’s great outings. This quarterback has been smart with that ball and totaled some respectable numbers when his performances concluded. The Steelers will likely have a need for one or two spots at the quarterback position this offseason, and this gun slinger could get a call.
Perhaps not having Silvers as your second option at quarterback would be ideal but having him as your third guy seems like a favorable resolution. The black and gold will likely need to fill that vacant spot as Mitch Trubisky seems more likely to return than not.
This XFL product deserves a reasonable shot in the NFL at some point, and it seems like it could soon if Pittsburgh shows enough interest. One thing that will be intriguing is if these players are fine with a role in the NFL or would prefer to stay in these start-up leagues as a starter.