With training camp wrapped up, the Steelers are now full steam ahead for the regular season. This team is full of new faces, and among those faces are the rookies. Every rookie saw some semblance of action through training camp, and while some popped, others had some more mixed reviews.
Before the regular season gets underway, I wanted to rank these performances. I’m not compiling a grade per se. Instead, I have ranked their performances and put the Steelers rookies in order from least impressive to most. Here is my ranking of the Steelers rookie class through the preseason.
Steelers seventh-best rookie: Cory Trice
It wasn’t horrible for Cory Trice when he was on the field. The early reports out of training camp were strong, as he looked like an easy mover and was making plays in practice. While it would have been tough to crack the starting lineup, Trice certainly was making an early case to make the roster as a rookie.
The issue is that Trice’s injury history popped up once again. He suffered a significant knee injury that landed him on the injured reserve list and ended his rookie season. While Calvin Austin showed that a rookie injury can be overcome, Trice has a lengthy injury history dealing with his knees.
I was as excited as anybody for what Trice could do for this team. He was great value in the seventh round of the draft, but having his rookie season cut so short means he takes up the bottom of this list. Hopefully, he can overcome this injury and make an impact next season.
Steelers sixth-best rookie: Darnell Washington
This was ultimately a tie between Darnell Washington and who ended up being the fifth-best rookie from camp. While second to last place seems like an insult, it is more of a testament to the overall production of this rookie class. Washington didn’t have a horrible showing, I just can’t rank him higher than any of the other draft picks.
Washington came back from some early lackluster practices and quickly reminded the Steelers of just what kind of a freak he can be. He did his part in the run game, dominating blocking drills and looking the part of a ferocious blocking tight end. While he had the occasional struggle against some top pass rushers, that is more due to the talent of the group as opposed to Washington struggling.
The issue was in the receiving game. While Washington flashed some red zone upside, his route running was mediocre and he never showcased himself as a dynamic threat in the passing game. While he popped in practice some as a receiver, it never translated into a preseason game, as Washington failed to make much of an impact.
The run blocking was as advertised and honestly, so was the receiving game. Washington failed to show much growth outside of his poor start to a stronger finish. We knew he would be a viable blocker, the question was where would his receiving ability be. Nothing much was solved, unfortunately, so Washington finds himself lowly rated through the preseason.
Steelers fifth-best rookie: Broderick Jones
In a similar vein as Washington, thus the reason I have these two nearly tied, Broderick Jones had a fine training camp by all accounts. Like everyone else in this class, Jones had his highs and lows, but I would say he had a successful first outing at Latrode. That said, the expectation vs. what we got wasn’t as big of a push as I would have liked to see.
Jones was a raw prospect coming out of Georgia. He was a limited starter there, but when on the field he was a force of nature. While the Steelers have needed an offensive line boost for a while, they also could have afforded to let a raw prospect like Jones sit if need be. He entered camp battling for the left tackle gig though against Dan Moore.
Unsurprisingly, Jones had his share of good and bad as a raw prospect. There were times in camp when Jones was unstoppable, but other times (usually in pass blocking) where the lack of technique showed.
These up-and-down trends continued into the preseason games. Again, Jones wasn’t horrible, but he had his fair share of struggles. The real issue was that Moore showed tremendous development in his third preseason. He comfortably won the left tackle job with camp wrapping up.
This isn’t the end of the world; Jones will get his chance down the road to start and he didn’t have a horrible showing in camp. That said, having firmly lost his training camp battle, I can’t rate Jones that high, especially with so many strong showings from the other members of this rookie class.
Steelers fourth-best rookie: Keeanu Benton
Consistent. That is the best way to describe the training camp and preseason progress of second-round pick Keeanu Benton. While he hasn’t had the highs of some of the names on this list, he certainly hasn’t had the lows. He has come in, showed just about everything you saw on tape in Wisconsin, and now figures to be a core defensive lineman for this defense.
What stands out first and foremost with Benton is just what we say in college, his strength. Seemingly every snap he played in preseason showcased him pushing his way through opposing linemen and wreaking havoc in the backfield. Put on any of his preseason film and he is hard to miss.
One of the main negatives I have with him is that he didn’t show that much besides his strength. He lacks a lot of finesse, which limits his ability to pad stats. Benton lacks the flashy stats of some of his counterparts, and it would have been ideal to see some more technical moves outside of his bull rush.
That said, there weren’t any inherent weaknesses in his game either. He is likely entrenched as the opening-day nose tackle given his performance, and I expect him to be one of the most consistent rookies for this team. It was a good performance lacking the highs and lows of others, and thus he gets graded out in the middle of the pack.
Steelers third-best rookie: Spencer Anderson
While not my biggest surprise on this list (that goes to my number one pick), I am shocked that Spencer Anderson has so quickly become entrenched as a versatile backup. His ability to play all over the line was his calling card at Maryland, but it is still rare for a rookie to be asked to wear so many hats so early in their career.
The first shock was the fact that the Steelers asked Anderson to play tackle off the bat. While it was his primary position in school, the expectation was for a move to the inside. Instead, most of his early snaps were at right tackle, and he even saw snaps at left tackle.
Then the actual preseason games began, and Anderson continued to see snaps all over the field. Against the Buccaneers, he saw snaps at right tackle and both guard spots. Not only did he play all over the field, but he more than held his own. After the solid first game, Anderson continued to flash his versatility, adding center to his resume.
Anderson went from a likely practice squad name to now a roster lock. It is rare for an offensive lineman to be proficient at so many positions. It is even more shocking to see a rookie doing that. Anderson was a pleasant surprise from the get-go. His competence and versatility so early in his career have earned him a high initial grade.
Steelers second-best rookie: Joey Porter
I’ll be the first to say that I expected Joey Porter to struggle more in his first preseason with the team. While Porter is gifted with rare size and length, he tended to be a little grabby in school. Add in some inconsistencies in coverage and I firmly expected some overreactions from a few poor practices.
That really wasn’t the case. Sure, Porter allowed some big plays to get by in practice, but he never let them stack. Every bad play was followed up by a good one, and Porter showed the rare ability to have a short memory as a defensive back.
His battles with George Pickens were the highlight of training camp. Every day the two seemed to be the talk of everyone coming out of practice. While Pickens seemingly won the war, that is to be expected. Pickens has shown the ability to be an elite receiver already, so the fact that Porter held his own often is a good sign.
His play in the preseason was also strong. While I would have liked to see him get more snaps, Porter made the most of what he was given. This included an interception against the Bills, albeit, it was a lob right into his hands, and high grades in coverage.
At this point, signs seem to point to Porter being a primary starter as an outside cornerback early in this season. That isn’t a knock against Levi Wallace either, as Porter has made a strong case to have that role. You have to like what you saw from the talented second-round pick in camp.
Steelers best rookie: Nick Herbig
As I have done in various other posts concerning him, I once again am eating some crow on my initial thoughts on Nick Herbig. Of all seven picks, he was my least favorite one. I struggled to believe that Herbig would be able to remain an edge rusher. His lack of size and length would certainly make him an outlier if he becomes a significant player in the position.
Even after training camp opened and the early results looked good, I still doubted Herbig. He was schooling Le’Raven Clark early in camp, but that certainly isn’t that notable. Clark has become a journeyman and had a horrible camp beyond just his battles with Herbig.
The positive reports didn’t stop though. Every practice seemed to have another good showing from the fourth-round pick. This all culminated in his first preseason game, where he continued to show his ability to get off the line quickly and pressure the quarterback. His practice and game tape matched incredibly.
He didn’t slow down either. Positive practices continued to stack and Herbig continued to dominate in games. He has been one of the best preseason defenders to this point, and you have to wonder just how far up the depth chart he has moved because of his strong play.
While he won’t start nor will he see snaps over Markus Golden, Herbig has likely made a great case to be more than just a special teams player this season. Herbig should see some defensive snaps, it is all because of his preseason performance. Herbig had one of the strongest camps in recent years, and it should pay dividends for this defense.
It was a strong preseason for the Steelers rookie class as a whole. While some players outshined others, it was a good showing for the entire class. That said, these rankings best reflect who had the best and worst first offseason for the team.