Week one of the preseason has come and gone. There were some very exciting things to watch during the game, but that should not lead to any foregone conclusions yet. The Steelers might be winding down their time at training camp, but there is a lot left to prove. Two preseason games remain as practices will also commence out of the public eye.
Training camp might be the big spectacle and where these players go to cut their teeth, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Players still need to show these coaches that they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster between now and after the final preseason contest. This roster needs to be trimmed from 90 men to 53 between now and the final cut down day.
Steelers roll with the incumbent specialists on the team for now
Specialists (3): Chris Boswell (K), Pressley Harvin III (P), Christian Kuntz (LS)
Nothing too surprising here as many expect these three to be the specialists to start the year. B.T. Potter has a solid outing kicking the ball and during his practices at camp. He could be a practice squad option or someone you keep on speed dial if Chris Boswell were to suffer an injury. Punter has been a tight competition, but Pressley Harvin III wins here.
Pittsburgh normally sticks with who they know if things get close and Harvin has been the better leg between him and Braden Mann. Christian Kuntz would be a shocking cut if they ever decided to let him go this season. Unless things change drastically when the regular season rolls around, expect these three to remain intact for at least another go-around.
Nothing earth shattering for Pittsburgh other than no fullback listed
Quarterback (3): Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky
The first week of the preseason was extremely kind to Kenny Pickett and the starting offense. They were able to take advantage of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that was missing a chunk of their starters on defense. It was a good showing by him, but his backup had a shaky day and that has continued in recent practices.
Mitch Trubisky is ending training camp more on a downer, which is opposite of how he started camp. Mason Rudolph had a solid game, especially considered the type of issues he faced with the offensive line in front of him. Still cut and dry about who will make the team at quarterback even with Tanner Morgan getting some snaps in games.
Running back/fullback (3): Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr.
Najee Harris did not have an amazing start to the preseason last week. That could be drawn up to a multitude of factors, but it could bring up a slight cause for concern moving forward. It was much of the same of the struggles that he had when he cannot get the ball downfield. Those behind him that will make this roster provided a spark.
Jaylen Warren continues to prove that you can find a quality running back almost anywhere in the draft process. He was able to make solid runs and pick quality lanes to get down the field and gain yardage. Anthony McFarland Jr. is enjoying another strong camp and seems like a lock to make this club without many contenders near him.
An extra "tight end" makes the final roster as a veteran receiver misses out
Receiver (5): Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson II, Calvin Austin III, Gunner Olszewski
Everyone knows who the top three starters are at receiver for the Steelers heading into the year. Those three spots are locked in and so is Calvin Austin III's spot as well. The real competition is for the final one of two spots available behind the four. It will depend on the quality of play at receiver to determine how many receivers stick on the 53-man roster.
The Steelers could keep Miles Boykin around as the sixth option with the type of special teams that he has shown in his past. It was hard to leave him off the team, but he has not done a great job of making a case for making the club as a receiver right now. Gunner Olszewski has shown some quality things both as a returner and as a receiver this preseason and is pushing for a spot.
Tight end (4): Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward
No fullback makes the team, but four tight ends do end up making the club when it is all said and done. Pat Freiermuth is still the top dog even though there is a lot of talent that will be in this room. Zach Gentry is still a quality blocker that should have no issues with making it into the regular season. Trying to divide the snap counts will be a challenge for coaches.
Darnell Washington is really starting to figure things out and started to show glimpses during his limited targets against the Bucs. Connor Heyward is a do it all utility guy that has seen snaps at tight end, fullback, and running back during camp. He will be the fullback, but he will also have a lot of other responsibilities on this team going forward.
Kendrick Green just has not done enough yet to make this team
Offensive line (9): Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Mason Cole, James Daniels, Chuks Okorafor, Nate Herbig, Kevin Dotson, Le'Raven Clark
The starting five seems fairly set for the time being with Broderick Jones likely beginning the year as a backup to Dan Moore Jr. That leaves the like of Isaac Seumalo, Mason Cole, James Daniels, and Chuks Okorafor as the other starters to fill out the rest of the offensive line. One of the biggest concerns right now is the lack of experienced depth at center.
Kendrick Green cannot make this team with the low quality of play he has represented for most of his career in the black and gold. Nate Herbig has been getting looks at center even though he has not done much at the position in the past. He will get the first crack at it and will also be an option at guard in case injuries start to pile up.
Kevin Dotson has a ton of starting experience at guard and should be nice to keep around. Other than center being an issue, there are reliable depth options that should fill out this team. Le'Raven Clark sticks around as the fourth tackle with a lot of NFL experience. He has had an up and down camp, but his resume gets him on the club.
Center is the position that could look for an outside option when initial cuts start to roll through the NFL. The Steelers seem to need one that has experience rather than gamble on if Herbig could learn the position on the fly. Keep an eye on that before the regular season kicks off in Pittsburgh against the San Francisco 49ers.
A starting nose tackle misses the cut with new question marks arising
Defensive line (6): Cam Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, DeMarvin Leal, Breiden Fehoko, Isaiahh Loudermilk
Competition in the trenches was pretty cut and dry a couple of days ago, but there might be a big issue occurring. Cam Heyward is the leader of this team and should be able to have another quality year to apply to his football resume. The big concern right now is his teammate that lines up right next to him in the trenches.
Larry Ogunjobi is missing time and has been reported in a walking boot. That is a concern as he dealt with a foot injury for most of last season and he just re-signed with the Steelers this past offseason. Is he hurt again? How long could he be out for? Is this precautious? Those are some questions that need answered.
Hopefully Ogunjobi is healthy and ready to go soon, but that could mean Pittsburgh might need to pursue outside options like Chase Young if Ogunjobi is out for an extended period of time, Keeanu Benton and DeMarvin Leal will both have extensive roles on the defensive line for the Steelers and should gain a good chunk of snaps.
Breiden Fehoko beats out Montravius Adams for the nose tackle spot. Neither are pass rushers, but Fehoko has made some eye-popping plays against the run this preseason. Isaiahh Loudermilk makes the team as his camp continues to be solid. He gained snaps with the first team with Ogunjobi being out with a lower body issue.
The Steelers need to figure out what they are doing at linebacker
Outside linebacker (4): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Markus Golden, Nick Herbig
Both starters here are straight forward as both should be one of the top pass rushing duos as long as they stay healthy. If T.J. Watt can stay on the field this season, then the black and gold should win a good chunk of games. The depth behind them has some quality and that could leave some players off the team once cuts come around.
Markus Golden is an experienced veteran that should fill in that third outside linebacker role nicely. Nick Herbig is having a monster training camp and preseason thus far. He could wind up taking snaps from Golden if he keeps on this current trajectory. He has been a relentless pass rusher and that will earn him snaps on defense.
Inside linebacker (5): Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Mark Robinson, Kwon Alexander, Tanner Muse
What will the team end up doing to solve their issues at inside linebacker? The jury is still out on that for now, but their plan seems to be going in a certain direction. Cole Holcomb will be the three-down linebacker with a culmination of Elandon Roberts, Kwon Alexander, and Mark Robinson rotating in. That should be an upgrade over last season, but nothing groundbreaking.
The last spot at linebacker to make the roster seems to be between Tanner Muse and Nick Kwiatkoski. Muse has more coverage ability and is a quality player on special teams throughout his career. Kwiatkoski misses the cut here, but he has shown better play at the linebacker position throughout the preseason thus far.
Pittsburgh decides to go heavy on safeties heading into the season
Cornerback (5): Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr., Levi Wallace, James Pierre, Chandon Sullivan
With Cory Trice Jr. lost for the season due to injury, cornerback seems obvious for the time being. Other than Luq Barcoo making some plays, these five seem to be obvious choices to make the team. A mixture of Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr., and Levi Wallace will be the starting cornerback’s week one.
James Pierre showed that he can be a reliable backup in week one of the preseason and has prior starting experience. Chandon Sullivan is the only one on the roster with a good number of experience in the slot role. There could always be an outside addition at cornerback once initial cuts come through and teams look to upgrade in certain areas.
Safety (6): Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, Miles Killebrew, Tre Norwood, Elijah Riley
Minkah Fitzpatrick is a start for this team, and it seems like Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee will see numerous starting snaps at safety. It will be interesting to see how the coaches try and divide those snaps up between the two. Miles Killebrew remains on the roster as a quality leader in the locker room and someone that plays well on special teams.
Tre Norwood sticks on the team as he can fill a couple different roles in the secondary if needed. He also plays well on special teams and has a chunk of NFL experience there. Elijah Riley does find a way to stay on the team when they get down to 53 players. He has done a lot of things in training camp that has shown position flexibility and that should get him on the team.