Steelers roster projections 1.0: Who's going to make the final 53?

With the first preseason game on the Steeler's schedule about to kick off against the Texans, it's a great time to revisit where the 53-man roster stands.

There are still a couple of weeks left before Pittsburgh and the rest of the NFL have to cut their team from 90 players to 53. There are always tough decisions to make when that time comes, and turnover is inevitable when other team make their cuts. Just because the 53-man roster gets set doesn't mean the Steelers or anyone else won't feel inclined to add some players from the outside.

Steelers preseason 53-man roster prediction

Quarterback (3): Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen

Changes at the quarterback position will not be happening anytime soon.

Russell Wilson is starting to come back from his calf injury, but he remains the top quarterback on the depth chart. Justin Fields has begun to pressure Wilson to get to the top spot, but he will need to do much more to earn starting snaps during the regular season. Kyle Allen has been having a sneaky good preseason thus far and should carry that into games.

Running back (3): Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Cordarrelle Patterson

Everything has been set in stone with the running back group for months pertaining to the 53-man roster.

Unless someone comes on strong to earn a fourth spot for the position, this is what the group will look like. It provides great stability with Cordarrelle Patterson being an experienced vet who will be mostly relied on when it comes to special teams. The Steelers have a strong running back group this year and they will need it under Arthur Smith's offense.

Wide receiver (5): George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Quez Watkins

Deciding to keep five or six receivers is going to be the biggest hurdle for the Steelers regarding this group.

George Pickens remains the top receiver, and Van Jefferson should play a big role on offense as he has surpassed expectations at training camp. Quez Watkins makes the team over Scotty Miller as he has a more proven track record as a versatile receiver who can play inside and outside. Watkins can also play special teams, which gave him the leg over others.

Tight end (4): Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, MyCole Pruitt

No fullbacks make the team here, but Jack Colletto could be in the conversation over MyCole Pruitt and others.

Special teams will be the Steeler's guide when making the last cuts of the 53-man roster. In this projection, Pruitt sticks as he is having a terrific camp, and their offensive coordinator is familiar with him. The top two guys are locks, and Connor Heyward has proven to be a good versatile guy who can also provide snaps on special teams.

Offensive line (9): Dan Moore Jr., Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig, James Daniels, Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson

Getting the starting offensive line situated will be more prevalent than how the roster numbers shake out in Pittsburgh.

Right now, there are eight spots on the offensive line that are locked to make the Steelers. That likely means only one, maybe two if someone pushes themselves, spots are available to make this club. It will likely come down to either Dylan Cook or Spencer Anderson to decide between. Anderson remains on the inside track as he has shown the ability to play plenty of positions at camp.

Defensive line (7): Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Larry Ogunjobi, Dean Lowry, Montravius Adams, DeMarvin Leal, Isaiahh Loudermilk

Starting three are set on the defensive line, and the health of Dean Lowry for the start of the regular season could play a factor in who makes the cut and those who don't.

Montravius Adams is having a terrific training camp, which has flown under the radar. DeMarvin Leal has shoved his name back onto the roster and might get some snaps on defense. Isaiahh Loudermilk hasn't been wowing anyone, but he has a lot of experience and can stop the run. The last spot here came down to Logan Lee and Loudermilk. The Steelers stuck with experience in this instance.

Outside linebacker (4): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Markus Golden

Not a lot of turnover from last year, especially after the Steelers signed Markus Golden this past week.

Expect the same group from last season to be the final members of the 53-man roster with Nick Herbig manning the third outside linebacker role on defense. Jeremiah Moon has been showing some good things at training camp, but there is a reason they brought Golden back. This remains one of the stronger units on the team.

Inside linebacker (5): Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb (IR), Tyler Matakevich, Mark Robinson

With Cole Holcomb missing practices at training camp, it seems unlikely he will be ready to go at the start of the regular season.

The good news is that Pittsburgh invested heavily in their inside linebacker position. The top three names above are locks to make the team and will see plenty of snaps on defense this year. Tyler Matakevich was a late addition to the team but will make it purely off of special teams' ability. Mark Robinson hasn't shown a ton at camp, but he has some experience and has played special teams before.

Cornerback (6): Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson, Beanie Bishop, Darius Rush, Cory Trice Jr., Grayland Arnold

The only thing that could've been labeled as a surprise on the Steeler's first depth chart was undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop named as the starting slot cornerback.

Both Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson have their starting spots on the outside locked up. Both Darius Rush and Cory Trice Jr. showed up as the backups at outside corner. Pittsburgh will keep another slot cornerback on their roster for depth and Grayland Arnold seems ready to take that spot. He has enjoyed a good training camp and should carry that into stadiums this preseason.

Safety (4): Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Damontae Kazee, Cam Sutton (suspended/slot), Miles Killebrew

Both Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott will be the tandem at safety this year.

Cam Sutton has seen a ton of snaps at safety at training camp, but he will see most of his snaps in the slot when he returns from his eight-weeks suspension. Damontae Kazee remains a quality backup for the Steelers at the position. Miles Killebrew is a top special team player in the NFL, and there is no stress on his job security.

Specialists (3): Chris Boswell (K), Cameron Johnston (P), Christian Kuntz (LS)

Chris Boswell has been shaky at times during training camp, so keep an eye on that during the preseason games.

Cameron Johnston just signed a big contract with Pittsburgh and he has been impressive thus far. Consistency is key at the punter position, and he has been nothing short of that. Christian Kuntz remains the long snapper. Logan Lee has been working in that position during camp, but he won't challenge Kuntz at all.

Practice squad (16+1): John Rhys Plumlee (QB), Jonathan Ward (RB), La'Mical Perine (RB), Jack Colletto (FB), Scotty Miller (WR), Dez Fitzpatrick (WR), Rodney Williams (TE), Dylan Cook (OT), Devery Hamilton (OL), Anderson Hardy (OL), Breiden Fehoko (NT), Logan Lee (DE), Julius Welschof (EDGE/EXPEMPT), Jeremiah Moon (EDGE), Jacoby Windmon (LB), Anthony Averett (CB), Ryan Watts (DB)

17 players here as Julius Welschof doesn't count since he is part of the internation player program.

Some notable names on this practice squad edition are Scotty Miller, Jack Colletto, Dylan Cook, Logan Lee, Jeremiah Moon, and Anthony Averett. All of them have had solid practices at training camp, but it seems like others have a better shot at sticking on the 53-man roster for now. They could work their way into better graces if they have a good game against the Texans.