The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at an even 2-2 through the first four weeks of the season. While the record suggests an average team, the actual gameplay has far too many swings.
One positive note is that the rookie class is starting to become more active for the team. We’ve seen more snaps go to the young options on the roster as injuries and ineffective players have piled up.
Like the rest of the team, this class has swung pretty violently.
Pittsburgh Steelers see a mixed bag from their rookie class in updated stock report
Drew Allar, Gennings Dunker, Gabriel Rubio, Eli Heidenreich, and Kevin Jobity Jr.
I’m lumping these five rookies into one category, as they have all, for the most part, not played. Eli Heidenrich has been active and has played a whopping 21 total snaps between the offense and special teams (with little to show for it).
It isn’t fair to update their current stock. Frankly, the entire group remained the status quo for the first four games. Heidenrich did get a small demotion recently, with Travis Homer being elevated in the wake of the Rico Dowdle injury, but that hasn’t been that damaging.
Gennings Dunker was moved to IR with an injury. Even if he were healthy right now, he would be a weekly inactive given the depth at guard. Drew Allar hasn’t dressed for a game either.
The only names that could change in the next stock report are the rookie defensive linemen. Either Gabriel Rubio or Kevin Jobidy will likely dress now that Derrick Harmon is injured. Given how heavily the Steelers have rotated defensive linemen, whoever dresses is likely to get some snaps. Here's hoping their arrow points up after this opportunity.
Verdict: Stock Even
Max Iheanachor
It was a tale of two games for the Steelers' first-round pick. He never really earned the starting right tackle job; Dylan Cook lost it as the team wanted to keep the right side consistent. Brock Hoffman was Iheanachor’s running mate in camp, and he certainly had to be added to the starting lineup given how bad Spencer Anderson had been.
Iheanachor’s first start against the Bengals was impressive. The whole team seemed to take a step forward, and the running game opened up. Cleveland was a different story, as having some film on the rookie opened the doorway for some mistakes, including two sacks given up.
PFF backs this up as well. Iheanachor had an impressive 81.3 grade after his debut on the right side. His second outing was a paltry 56. There was clear regression.
We knew things could be bumpy with Iheanachor given how new he is to the sport. However, if he doesn’t want to lose his spot back to Cook, he needs to stack some better performances.
Verdict: Stock shot up, but has come right back down
Germie Bernard
On the surface, Germie Bernard has been defined by one drive. Against the Patriots, he commanded a drive where he caught four passes and gained 35 yards. Those aren’t incredible numbers by any means, but he provided a spark for the offense.
With Michael Pittman back in the lineup, he has struggled to see a lot of opportunities. However, given how ineffective the veteran has been, Bernard could slowly begin stealing touches.
We caught a glimpse of what Bernard can do and how he can win. Now he needs to be given the chance to prove himself on a weekly basis.
Verdict: Stock up, slightly
Daylen Everette
Daylen Everette has officially been thrown out into the deep end.
The rookie third-round pick was viewed as a player who needed some time to get his feet wet before becoming a core defender. However, he gained a lot of buzz in camp and, during the preseason, with Joey Porter holding out, he was given early opportunities to see the field on defense. He even got the nod over Asante Samuel at the end of the Bengals game.
That certainly sounds like a player on the rise, right?
However, his first extensive action against the Browns as a starter was bad. Poor coverage and nearly a costly penalty highlighted a miserable day for the former Georgia cornerback. It seems like the initial assessment of Everette is proving correct: he is a player who needs some time to develop.
He may not get that opportunity, though, as the Steelers need him to be the next man up with Porter traded to the Cowboys. He’ll need to rebound in a major way, or else the defense could continue to struggle.
Verdict: The opportunity is there for better days, but currently stock down
Kaden Wetjen
When you draft a return specialist in the fourth round, the expectation is that the player will strengthen that aspect of the game since returners are typically end-of-draft picks or undrafted players altogether.
Kaden Wetjen was certainly dynamic in college, but that hasn’t translated to the pros yet.
While his blocking units haven’t been great, he hasn’t flashed the ability to make coverage units fear him yet. He is running north and south more, which is good, but it hasn’t yielded any great results.
His 22.6-yard-per-kick return average and 9.9-yard-per-puntaverage return are both below average. He also hasn’t had a single long return yet. On the plus side, he hasn’t fumbled, but that seems like a minimal victory given the investment.
Verdict: Stock has plummeted
Riley Nowakowski
I’ll be the first to admit that I expected a bigger role for the Steelers' fifth-round pick than what we have seen. Riley Nowakowski has played a grand total of 15 snaps on offense and has yet to record a single catch or rush.
To be fair, the offense hasn’t been in a position to use a fullback heavily, but the lack of work there or even as a reserve tight end is slightly disappointing.
On the plus side, he has been a key special teams player with 61 percent of the snaps there. He has a role there, and his offensive role could grow if the team could establish a secure lead, but there isn’t a reason to hit the panic button yet.
Verdict: Stock even
Robert Spears-Jennings
The Steelers' last pick from the draft has actually proven to be one of their best through four games. From special teams to defense, we have seen a lot to like from the athletic safety out of Oklahoma.
His expected role on special teams has been as advertised. He has been quick to make it down the field on punt coverage and has racked up a slew of tackles already.
The real surprise has been the defense, as Robert Spears-Jennings was called into action against the Browns. He shined, including a key interception and a PFF rating of 78.6 for the day.
He may have already jumped Rayshawn Jenkins, and while he will revert back to depth once the safety room is healthy, he has looked more than capable. The special teams production alone was making him a great pick already. Add in a good defender that late in the draft and you have to be thrilled for the team.
Pittsburgh may have gotten a steal here.
Verdict: Stock is soaring and for good reason
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