We are only a couple of days into the padded practices at Saint Vincent College where football players are made. Some might do well in the early part of camp because the pads are off and some might accelerate their opportunity once the actual hitting starts. The best way to impress the coaches during camp is to play your best football when those pads start popping.
Trying to figure out the final 53-man roster is no easy task, especially this early into the training camp portion of the preseason. There have been a lot of different players that are experiencing quality practices that could be getting their name in the door to make the team. It is a long process and things could change between now and when final decisions need to be announced.
Everything stays steady for the specialists on the Steelers roster
Specialist (3): Chris Boswell (K), Pressley Harvin III (P), Christian Kuntz (LS)
Competition is present for all three specialist positions, but it is still hard to imagine any turnover here. The three incumbents have good chemistry going on and the Steelers will probably roll with the guys they know if things stay the course. Chris Boswell has been kicking the ball well in camp and his competition, B.T. Potter has also been doing some nice things too.
Pressley Harvin III has been booting the ball better than Braden Mann at this point and will hopefully continue that trend. Christian Kuntz's long snapper spot seems like his to lose, but there has been a lot of movement at the position. Pittsburgh signed another long snapper earlier in the offseason and has tried out another player at the position too.
A recent injury at running back keeps this group obvious for the team
Quarterback (3): Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph
Kenny Pickett has done some quality work leading up to this point of training camp. He has shown some progress from last year, but there are still some things you would like to see cleaned up before the regular season starts. Both backups present quality quarterbacks that could start for your team and keep them in games if Pickett were to get injured.
Mitch Trubisky remains the second option for the black and gold which is a good option to have. He started a chunk of games for the club last season and should be able to suit up if the team needs him to sling the ball. Mason Rudolph will be the third option on the club and has enough talent to arguably be a second option for most franchises in the NFL.
Running back/fullback (4): Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr., Connor Heyward
Najee Harris is going to be the top back for Pittsburgh again this season and seems primed for a big year. He has been having a good start to camp and should continue that further. Jaylen Warren is a great second option that should play a role on offense like he did last season. The third string back seemed to be a competition earlier, but that is quickly coming to a close.
Anthony McFarland Jr. might be having the best training camp thus far out of anyone on the field. His main competition, Alfonzo Graham was just knocked out for the season with a shoulder injury. Connor Heyward has seen snaps at tight end, fullback, and running back at camp. He will be utilized in many different ways on offense.
Most weapons on offense have made outstanding play at training camp
Wide receiver (6): Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson II, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin, Gunner Olszewski
The top three are self-explanatory as they will all make this roster. George Pickens is having a great camp and destroying defenders on the regular. Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson have done a nice job of forming good chemistry with Pickett. Calvin Austin III is showing off his speed after having a slow start to camp.
Right now, it seems more likely than not that Gunner Olszewski will make this team with his blazing start at Saint Vincent. He has been targeted often and made some plays as a receiver. He would be a good backup option behind Austin as a returner too. The final spot at receiver will probably come between Miles Boykin and Hakeem Butler. Boykin sticks around here with his special team’s prowess.
Tight end (3): Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Darnell Washington
Pat Freiermuth will get a lot of snaps on offense, but they will be focused on different areas on the field. He has seen some work in the slot, and it seems like the coaches want to see what the size mismatch in the middle does in their favor. The battle for the second spot at tight end is in full effect, but Zach Gentry is winning right now.
Some players perform better when the pads go on and that cannot be overstated enough for Darnell Washington. He has become a totally different player with the pads on and will push Gentry for that second spot at tight end. The Steelers will probably keep Washington behind Gentry, but that will not last too long if Washington keeps up his most recent performances.
53-man roster for Pittsburgh goes light across the offensive line
Offensive line (8): Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Mason Cole, James Daniels, Chuks Okorafor, Kevin Dotson, Nate Herbig
There are a few question marks that still need to be answered by the Steelers before the conclusion of the regular season. Who will be the starting left tackle? Who will start at right tackle? Who will be the key depth pieces behind the starters? Those are the top questions that this offensive line is still working to solve right now.
It would make sense for the organization to roll with mostly the same starting lineup from left to right as last season to start the year. Other than Isaac Seumalo plugging into left guard in the starting lineup, many expect the rest of the returning starters to remain the same. That could change if Broderick Jones continues on his current trajectory.
Dan Moore Jr. is the starting left tackle for now, but he has been getting some quality time on the right side. Chuks Okorafor has been missing some practices and that has given Moore a larger opportunity at right tackle and Jones some starting snaps on the left side. It seems like the tides are turning in the direction of Jones potentially getting a chance to start at left tackle much sooner than many expected.
The depth behind the starters could be a little lighter this season. Nate Herbig has seen action both at guard and center in training camp. He could be a big piece to the puzzle when it comes to the black and gold potentially keeping fewer offensive linemen. Kevin Dotson is a quality depth piece at guard that rounds out this group.
The Steelers decide to stay even at their defensive line positions
Defensive line (6): Cam Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, Demarvin Leal, Breiden Fehoko, Armon Watts
There are a couple of things that still need to be worked out on the defensive line, but it is shaping out as many would expect. Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi will get the starting snaps but will come off the field for a breather here and there. Keeanu Benton seems like he will be taking over the nose tackle role at some point this season.
He has shown flashes in training camp and should be able to capture that nose tackle spot sooner rather than later. The Steelers would probably like to have a veteran start over him to begin the regular season, but it is hard to look past his talent. There are veterans on this roster that could start at the nose tackle role over Benton for the immediate future.
Breiden Fehoko makes the roster over Montravius Adams in this scenario. Both have good experience in the nose tackle role throughout their NFL careers and have been good run stuffers in the past. Benton has a higher ceiling and that is what will win him the job eventually. Expect Fehoko to get every opportunity to win the spot coming out of camp.
DeMarvin Leal is a defensive end, but he could also be considered an edge rusher too. The Steelers are still trying to figure out the best possible way to utilize him on defense. Armon Watts rounds out the depth chart on the defensive line. He has shown burst against the run in practices and brings a lot of experience in the trenches.
It is going to be hard for the Steelers to let some of these linebackers go
Outside linebacker (4): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Markus Golden, Nick Herbig
This position seems set as both the starters and depth pieces seem to be ironed out. T.J. Watt looks like he is returning to form after an injury riddled season last year. Alex Highsmith is reportedly putting on great performances in practice. The third outside linebacker role has been important to this defense in the past and it still needs to be figured out.
Markus Golden is a veteran player with a lot of starting experience in the NFL. It is likely that he will assume that third edge rusher role, but don't count out Nick Herbig just yet. He has been putting together a quality training camp and could challenge Golden for his spot. Their competition might not be at that level yet but expect Herbig to push him for that job.
Inside linebacker (5): Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Mark Robinson, Kwon Alexander, Tanner Muse
It seems like it will be a group effort approach to handle to question mark at inside linebacker. The Steelers have tried that in the past with mixed results with the hope of someone emerging as the top guy. Cole Holcomb will be the three-down guy for this defense, but there is a real chance that six guys at inside linebacker make this roster.
Everyone on this list have done well enough to stay in the conversation to make this team. Mark Robinson is starting to gain first team reps and could earn that bigger role in year two. Nick Kwiatkoski did not make the 53-man roster in this instance, but he has a realistic shot at making the final roster when decisions need to be made.
Depth concerns at safety spike as injuries are starting to take a toll
Cornerback (5): Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr., Levi Wallace, James Pierre, Chandon Sullivan
Patrick Peterson is still trying to figure out all the different spots that he will play on defense in Pittsburgh. Joey Porter Jr. looks like one of the best cornerbacks on the roster right now and has challenged some of the better receivers in practice. Levi Wallace is also having a good camp that is flying under the radar.
Cory Trice Jr. is now out for his rookie year with a knee injury, which is hard to hear since he was enjoying such a good camp before that. James Pierre seems like a lock at this point since he remains the better special team player on this club. Chandon Sullivan has the most experience in the slot role and should still be able to stick around.
Safety (6): Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, Miles Killebrew, Tre Norwood, Elijah Riley
Minkah Fitzpatrick has yet to practice at training camp upon writing this article as he is dealing with a personal issue. Keanu Neal has been in and out of the lineup as he deals with certain injuries. Damontae Kazee is dealing with a lower body injury that has left the starting safety spots in question with the mound of injuries that have piled up.
With those guys out, there has been opportunity for others to fill those holes and try and catch the coach's eye. Miles Killebrew will be hard to let go because of the pivotal snaps that he plays in the third phase of football. Tre Norwood has been having a solid training camp overall and plays well on special teams. Elijah Riley has slowed down some but should stay in the final roster conversation.