Steelers roster projections 4.0: Who's going to make the final 53?

The Steelers just wrapped up their preseason schedule after their loss against the Detroit Lions this past weekend. It concluded a slate of games where Pittsburgh could not find a win. This time of year is all about the development of the team rather than stacking wins. That doesn't mean you wouldn't mind seeing the team win a game or two during this span.

Nonetheless, the Steelers and the rest of the NFL must trim their 90-man roster down to 53 players no later than 4 P.M. on August 27th. There are a couple of big decisions ahead for the Steelers.

Some injuries have made matters easier, while others have only complicated the situation. Don't rule out the black and gold adding an outside option or two before the start of the regular season.

Expect the Steelers to tinker with their final roster with outside additions

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

The quarterback room remains the same as it has all preseason. Russell Wilson remains the starter, and everyone who follows the team knows this. Justin Fields showed some strong play throughout, but his continued gaffs in big moments lost his momentum. Kyle Allen never really had competition from John Rhys Plumlee for the last spot.

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

Still rolling with three running backs here even though it hasn't been confirmed about Jaylen Warren's availability for the Falcons game. Cordarrelle Patterson showed enough in the final preseason game to make the coaches comfortable enough to have him as their last option. All three of Jonathan Ward, La'Mical Perine, and Daijan Edwards made strong cases for the practice squad.

Wide receiver (6): George Pickens, TBD, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Dez Fitzpatrick

Depth at the receiver position is scarce, and the starting spot opposite of George Pickens remains a worry. It seems more likely than not that the Steelers will try and add a receiver who can start, no matter if that is Brandon Aiyuk or not. The final roster spot came down to Dez Fitzpatrick and Scotty Miller, but Fitzpatrick won with his special teams ability.

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

Since Arthur Smith loves including tight ends in his offense, it seems safe to assume they will try and keep four on the roster. The top three are obvious, but the fourth spot is where things are up for discussion. Rodney Williams is someone the Steelers know well, but he missed a ton of time due to injury. MyCole Pruitt is someone Smith knows and had a strong preseason process.

Offensive like (9): Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Mason McCormick, Zach Frazier, Ryan Anderson, Spencer Anderson, Jamed Daniels, Troy Fautanu, Dylan Cook (IR return)

Now that Dylan Cook will be missing an extended period, the offensive line group is pretty cut and dry. Unless the Steelers add an outside option over the coming days, this will be the group in the trenches for Pittsburgh. Their depth at tackle is concerning, but their starting five should be a strong unit, especially as each week passes by.

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

Going on the heavier side along the defensive line for the black and gold. They keep seven on the roster here after Isaiahh Loudermilk played a great game against the Lions. He earned a spot, and Dean Lowry also had a decent outing. Unless they shock many by letting Lowry go, this seems like the group they will go with into the year.

Outside linebacker (4): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Kyron Johnson

The top three are obvious at the outside linebacker position for the Steelers. Nick Hetbig had a great preseason and could be on the verge of a breakout year. The final depth spot at this position comes down to Kyron Johnson and Jeremiah Moon. Sadly, for Moon, he missed the final game in Detroit. Johnson struggles against the run, but he has proven to be an effective pass rusher.

Inside linebacker (4): Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, Payton Wilson, Tyler Matakevich, Cole Holcomb (IR)

Only running with four at the inside linebacker position is tricky, but the Steelers should be able to store Mark Robinson on the practice squad in case injuries hit them hard. This is a strong group overall, and Tyler Matakevich is one of the better special teams players in the NFL. It is still unknown if Cole Holcomb will return from the injury he suffered last season.

Cornerback (5): Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson, Beanie Bishop, Cory Trice Jr., TBD, Cam Sutton (suspended)

Here we have some of our surprises in this final roster prediction article. The starters seem set, even though Beanie Bishop has started to trail off. It seems like the Steelers will try and add a slot cornerback and potentially an outside depth cornerback sometime this week. Darius Rush misses the roster after having a mostly invisible preseason.

Safety (5): Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Damontae Kazee, Miles Killebrew, Ryan Watts

The only real question mark surrounding the safety position is if they will keep four or five players. Unless Damontae Kazee is a surprise cut, the Steelers seem prepared to go into the season with five players at safety. Ryan Watts is a versatile player who had a strong training camp. He came close to a devastating injury against the Lions, but it turned out to be a stinger.

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

After a bumpy start through training camp and the preseason, Chris Boswell finished strong. Cameron Johnston might have been the highlight of the Steeler's preseason games. He was booming the ball and remained consistent. Christian Kuntz makes his job look easy and has the long snapper position locked down on the Steelers roster.