It's been about a week since minicamp for the Steelers concluded and there were some interesting outcomes. A couple of different players saw action at different spots and a few players were able to have outstanding weeks. Everything coming out of this portion of the pre-season process needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
Real decisions about the final 53-man roster are roughly two months away, so the coaches are not rushing to any conclusions. When the pads come on is when you see how this final roster will start to shape out. Pittsburgh will have some tough decisions to make as these players will try their best to make the team heading into the regular season.
Pittsburgh decides to keep their specialists the same as last season
Specialists (3): Chris Boswell (K), Pressley Harvin III (P), Christian Kuntz (LS)
Competition has been brought in for each one of the specialist positions, but not much seems like it will change. There is a lot of time between now and when final decisions need to be made, but many assume that this group will stay intact for now. Pressley Harvin III seems like the most likely to lose his starting job as punter when compared to the other two spots.
Chris Boswell makes too much money and B.T. Potter will not push him to make the club. Christian Kuntz does have some competition in the building, which is kind of a surprise. He seemed to do a good job at long snapper and using two roster spots at the position is slightly odd. One should expect his competition to be let go early if an injury elsewhere happens and they need a roster spot open.
Both quarterback and running back stays obvious out of minicamp
Quarterbacks (3): Kenny Pickett (starter), Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph
Nothing too surprising here as these three prove to be a solid group overall. Kenny Pickett will remain the starter if his health remains in good condition. He has a lot to build off from last season and should take a step forward. Those behind them know their roles and both signed new deals knowing what their roles would be.
Mitch Trubisky is not the worst backup quarterback option in the NFL and can help mentor Pickett some. Mason Rudolph returns as one of the best third string options at the position in the NFL. The Steelers should have another year of a deep quarterback room. All three have a good chunk of starting experience, which is rare in this league.
Running backs/full back (4): Najee Harris (starter), Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr., Connor Heyward
Najee Harris returns as the starter at running back for another season. He started to return back to his rookie form during the stretch-run of last year. It seems like the Steelers will try and lean on their rushing attack to help control their offensive flow in 2023. Harris should see a nice bulk of carries, but the second option on this team is no slouch either.
Jaylen Warren did an exceptional job after bursting onto the scene last training camp. He should continue that trend this year as well and see a nice chunk of carries going his way. Anthony McFarland Jr. seems like the obvious choice to get the last spot at the position with his special teams’ ability. Connor Heyward will be a utility guy but take a lot of snaps at full back too.
An unsuspecting start to the depth chart in the weapons room on offense
Wide receivers (5): Diontae Johnson (starter), George Pickens (starter), Allen Robinson (slot), Calvin Austin III (WR/returner), Miles Boykin
Both Diontae Johnson and George Pickens will be the two starting outside receivers. The slot is an open competition, but it seems like Allen Robinson will get the bulk of his snaps there. Depending on his success there, it could either amplify or limit another receiver's possibility of gaining snaps with the top group.
Calvin Austin III could be one of the players that could see a chunk of snaps in the slot and running receiver end arounds. He will also be a returner for this group as the subtraction of Anthony Miller seems to be hinting at that. Miles Boykin makes the club of Hakeem Butler in this iteration as his special team's ability is too hard to pass on.
Tight ends (3): Pat Freiermuth (starter), Zach Gentry, Darnell Washington
Here is where things could get interesting for those that like to keep close attention to depth charts this time of year. Do not be shocked if Darnell Washington is brought along slowly on offense and starts the season mostly as a special team guy. Zach Gentry is a serviceable backup and can help block when an extra tight end is needed.
Washington should see his role grow as the weeks go on as he can both block and catch. He needs to work on some parts of his game and the coaching staff might start him off slowly. Pat Freiermuth is one of the best young tight ends in the game and will be the starter. Connor Heyward gets an honorable mention with this group as he will continue to work closely with them.
Little immediate affects are felt to the Steelers initial starting O-line
Offensive line (9): Dan Moore Jr., Isaac Seumalo, Broderick Jones, Chuks Okorafor, James Daniels, Mason Cole, Kevin Dotson, Nate Herbig, outside center addition
Other than the competition at both tackle spots, the offensive line does not have too much drama up front. Most of the new additions will be depth pieces, besides Isaac Seumalo who will start at left guard. There are probably two to three spots up for grabs on the offensive line when you get past the different starters or borderline starters that will back them up.
Nate Herbig and Kevin Dotson would be quality depth behind James Daniels and Seumalo. It is possible that Dotson either gets traded or released as he does not seem too thrilled about being demoted. Ideally, the Steelers will be able to find an upgrade for their backup center position between now and after initial cuts come through.
Starting offensive line: Dan Moore Jr. (LT), Isaac Seumalo (LG), Mason Cole (OC), James Daniels (RG), Chuks Okorafor (RT)
Might not be the outcome everyone is looking for right now, but it seems the most realistic of becoming a reality. Broderick Jones could probably start week one, but he has a brutal lineup to start the year if he does. It seems like the best thing to do is get more experienced tackles out there for the first couple of weeks before turning toward Jones to plug into left tackle.
That will then open the door for Dan Moore Jr. to slide over to right tackle, which seems like a good possibility of happening. The interior of this offensive line should show vast improvements to the front, but those tackles are still sketchy. If Jones can catch on fast and that side flop for Moore works, then this could be a strong group.
New blood enters the fold across the defensive line for Pittsburgh
Defensive line (6): Cam Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, Breiden Fehoko, DeMarvin Leal, Armon Watts
After the addition of Keeanu Benton through the draft, the starters on the defensive line seem set in stone. Those that sit behind them are where the true competition will likely be the strongest during training camp and the pre-season. It seems like two spots will be open for the taking behind the three starters and DeMarvin Leal.
Breiden Fehoko makes the team as the backup nose tackle with his experience and after signing via free agency this past offseason. Armon Watts also makes the club after beating out his competition and he can play at different spots in the trenches. Montravius Adams is the odd-man out in this case and is one of the bigger names cut to get down to the 53-man roster.
Starting defensive line: Cam Heyward (DT), Keeanu Benton (NT), Larry Ogunjobi (DT)
Again, nothing earth shattering here, and it seems like it would be more of a surprise if it was not these three as the starters. Cam Heyward is still going to be a dominant force, but hopefully, we do not see father time start circling back toward him. He is a leader on this club and should make another impact this season.
Benton gets the job at nose tackle, but he will also get a growing role to fill in when Heyward or Larry Ogunjobi needs a breather. Speaking of Ogunjobi, he rounds out the starting group along the defensive line for the Steelers. He was a nice re-sign by Pittsburgh this offseason and should be better with a clean bill of health.
A new starter emerges out of the linebacker group for the Steelers
Outside linebacker/EDGE (4): T.J. Watt (starter), Alex Highsmith (starter), Markus Golden, Nick Herbig
We all know what this group will look like when its final iteration is displayed for all to see on the 53-man roster. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are a formidable duo and should be able to carry that into this season if both can stay healthy. Those behind them in depth roles seem straight forward unless someone comes out of the woodwork.
Markus Golden was a smart addition by Omar Khan during the waning days of free agency. Nick Herbig will round out that group unless the Steelers somehow keep five players at the position. That is not an impossible situation from playing out, but it's not likely. It would take someone like Quincy Roche to have a stellar pre-season to make the cut.
Inside linebacker (5): Cole Holcomb (starter), Mark Robinson (starter), Elandon Roberts, Tanner Muse, Nick Kwiatkoski
It seems like inside linebacker is still a work in progress for the black and gold heading into the pre-season process. They just signed Nick Kwiaktkoski recently and have explored other options to challenge their current personnel. The Steelers would be wise to keep an eye out for upgrades at their starting spots between now and the regular season.
Cole Holcomb is going to be a starter at linebacker, but do not count out Mark Robinson yet. It will likely come down to him and Elandon Roberts for the guy that plays next to Holcomb on defense. Tanner Muse and Kwiatkoski both make the club because they have a lot of NFL experience and have shown success on special teams too.
A couple known depth players in the secondary fail to make the 53-man roster
Cornerback (6): Patrick Peterson (slot starter), Joey Porter Jr. (starter), Levi Wallace (starter), Cory Trice, Chandon Sullivan, Luq Barcoo
Patrick Peterson could affect the outcome of a few other corners trying to make this team. His potential at starting in the slot could allow a couple of different avenues to open for a few different individuals. Joey Porter Jr. is going to start on one outside spot, and it seems like Levi Wallace would start on the other outside spot if Peterson is in the slot.
Chandon Sullivan sticks around with his number of starts in the slot corner role to provide depth. Cory Trice does enough throughout the pre-season process after a successful minicamp to make the roster. Luq Barcoo is someone that many have not spoken about, but he should be in great shape after his recent stint in the XFL.
Safety (5): Minkah Fitzpatrick (starter), Keanu Neal (starter), Elijah Riley, Damontae Kazee, Miles Killebrew
Safety is another position where it seems obvious who the two starters will be from day one. Minkah Fitzpatrick is a star player on defense and should have another great run in 2023. Keanu Neal is a step down from Terrell Edmunds and seems like he could be a Mike Mitchell-type of safety for this defense.
Elijah Riley sticks around as he works on showing enough quality in the slot to keep his name around the building. Damontae Kazee is another guy that could be used in the slot and has a lot of quality experience in the position. Miles Killebrew rounds out the roster as he continues to be a work horse on special teams for the Steelers.