Once the NFL draft concludes, most eyes start to turn toward the different roster battles that are about to commence. The Steelers will have tons of battles across their roster to settle between now and the conclusion of the pre-season schedule. There could be some movement between now and the start of that process as certain names seem to already be the odd man out before practices even start.
Change is inevitable in the NFL, especially with the bottom of the roster from year to year. The black and gold showed some signs of growth last season, but there is still a lot of work to be done for this club to improve. They added some quality players during the offseason to try and bolster this group into contenders.
Its time to turn the page at the punting position in Pittsburgh
One position that has gotten a lot of scrutiny over the past several decades it seems is punter. Pressley Harvin III has manned that spot for the past couple of years only to see poor results. Fans have kept a close eye on this player after the Steelers originally drafted him, which is mostly uncommon for his position.
Most of the specialists did not have great seasons during the 2022 campaign. Chris Boswell was dealing with injury and had his worst statistical year when he was healthy enough to suit up. Christian Kuntz remained consistent enough to earn a short-term contract extension with Pittsburgh. Competition has been brought in at both kicker and punter to varying degrees.
Harvin is the one that has his job in the most danger as we head into the pre-season process. He could still retain his job if he can beat out Braden Mann during training camp and beyond. It seems like Mann could have a jump on Harvin currently as he has a better average over his career and seems to be the more seasoned veteran.
Tough decisions could be made at cornerback for the Steelers
Cornerback could go in a couple of different directions for this team, especially as some potential cap casualties lasted through the offseason. Ahkello Witherspoon seems all but gone currently, but the Steelers seem content with giving him a shot to prove himself during the pre-season process. He was dealing with an injury last year, but it is going to be an uphill battle for Witherspoon to have a shot to stick with this club.
There are plenty of starting capable cornerbacks currently on the roster that will have their names called to Mike Tomlin's office when final cuts need to be made. It should be a competitive training camp in the defensive backfield for these players. It seems likely that Pittsburgh will keep around six cornerbacks, 4 that play outside and two that play in the slot.
One player that was just re-signed this past offseason that could see his name on the cut list is James Pierre. He had a serviceable season in limited time as a backup, but he has been with the team for a while now. He needs to take a leap or his time with the black and gold will have run its course. This would be a somewhat surprising name to have come across the transaction wire if it happened today.
A special teams ace from last year could be the roster's odd man out
It is shocking that the receiver depth on this team has gotten stronger on paper since last year. The top three carry notable names of Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Allen Robinson. Those three could potentially do some special things as a unit and help Kenny Pickett progress in year two.
Those behind the top three are where things could see a shakeup happen. Special teams will be vital for those last two or three receivers that are fighting for their football lives in the pre-season process. Showing your abilities at the position will be important, but trying to show the coaches that you can more than handle yourself in the third phase of football should get that player onto the final roster.
One name to keep an eye on is Miles Boykin to round out the receiver room. He was a great contributor on special teams last time around and will be gunning to make the roster again. Calvin Austin III is the early favorite to get the fourth spot on the roster, but he will need to prove himself both as a receiver and on special teams. There are a couple of sleepers that could push for either one of their roster spots like Hakeem Butler, Anthony Miller, and Gunner Olszewski.
A former starter on defense could be cut by the Steelers during final cuts
There are a few veterans that could see their roster spot completely gone before training camp even starts up. Arthur Maulet was just cut, which is shocking news as the story continues to develop behind the shape of this club. The defensive line is open for business when it comes to certain starting spots on defense and different roles that certain players are shooting to take.
Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi will take the brunt of the responsibilities as the starting defensive ends on this defense. Nose tackle is a starting spot that still needs to be ironed out, but the early favorite to take over that role is Keeanu Benton, the second-round pick out of Wisconsin. Other free agents were brought into the fold to push for the nose tackle spot and other depth positions on this roster.
Montravius Adams is far from his days of being a big part of the nose tackle spot for this club. He showed promise when he first joined the Steelers but followed that up by disappointing last year. With players like Breiden Fehoko and Arman Watts in the fold, it seems like Adams will be on his way out. His prior experience starting in the NFL is nice, but it looks like there is a turn of a new leaf in town.