New faces occupy big roles on roster Steelers have assembled to compete in AFC North
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After six months of roster construction, offseason workouts, training camp practices and preseason tune-ups, the Pittsburgh Steelers will see whether they are equipped to compete in the AFC North and return to the playoffs for the third year in a row.
The first test comes next Sunday at Cincinnati, and the matchup against the AFC’s Super Bowl representative presents a clean break from the Ben Roethlisberger era.
For the first time in nearly two decades, the Steelers will have a new quarterback. Roethlisberger’s retirement headlined offseason changes to an organization that also welcomes a new general manager, defensive coordinator and stadium name. The Steelers also have new pieces on the offensive and defensive lines, inside linebacker and cornerback, and they’ll break in promising rookies such as Kenny Pickett and George Pickens.
Here is a look at the roster the Steelers have assembled:
Quarterback
Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph
Forget Mike Tomlin’s gamesmanship. No formal announcement is needed. Trubisky has taken first-team reps since the first day of offseason workouts in May. Barring an unforeseen circumstance, he will start against the Bengals.
The Steelers signed Trubisky because of his mobility and ability to create plays outside the pocket. It gives the offense more flexibility than it enjoyed when Roethlisberger was on the field last season.
The question is whether Pickett or Rudolph will get the other helmet on game days. Pickett has taken more second-team reps since the midpoint of training camp, but Tomlin may feel more comfortable having Rudolph than a rookie on the sidelines in case of an injury to Trubisky.
Running back
Najee Harris, Benny Snell Jr., Jaylen Warren, Derek Watt (fullback)
Harris’ participation in the preseason finale showed that the Lisfranc sprain that kept him off the field for 3-4 weeks is no longer an issue. At least that is Tomlin’s assertion.
Harris totaled 1,200 rushing yards and 1,647 from scrimmage as a rookie. Whether he can build on those numbers likely depends on the state of the offensive line, which continues to be the biggest question mark on offense.
Snell may not wow anyone with his speed, but he can be useful in short-yardage situations and he’s a core special teams player. The wild card is Warren, the only undrafted free agent to make the 53-man roster. Watt made the final roster despite not participating in any preseason games because of injury, showing how much the Steelers value his special teams work.
Wide receiver
Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens, Gunner Olszewski, Miles Boykin, Steven Sims
Armed with a new contract, Johnson looks to improve on his 107-catch, 1,161-yard season. A shoulder injury suffered in the final preseason game bears watching. Claypool is looking to rebound from a stagnant second season in which his touchdowns dipped from 11 to 2. He could be a big-bodied option in the slot.
Pickens, the second-round pick, was the camp darling because of his body control on so-called combat catches. He figures to join Johnson and Claypool as the most frequently used receivers.
Boykin is getting a fresh start after a disappointing run in Baltimore. Olszewski showed in camp that he’s more than a return specialist, and Sims also can be used in the return game and as a slot threat.
Tight end
Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Connor Heyward
Freiermuth is the clear starter after playing 62% of the snaps as a rookie when he caught 60 passes for 497 yards and seven touchdowns. He emerged as more of a down-field threat in the preseason after averaging 8.3 yards per catch in 2021.
The 6-foot-8 Gentry finally got on the field with some regularity in his third season. In addition to being a tall target, his improved blocking could lead to the Steelers using more two tight-end sets. Heyward provides versatility as a tight end/H-back/fullback. He was used in various roles late in the preseason, and that could continue if he gets a helmet on game days.
Offensive line
Mason Cole, Kevin Dotson, James Daniels, Dan Moore Jr., Chuks Okorafor, J.C. Hassenauer, Kendrick Green, Jesse Davis, Trent Scott
The interior underwent the biggest change in the offseason with the free-agent signings of Cole and Daniels to play center and right guard, respectively. Left tackle, though, may be the biggest concern heading into the regular season.
Moore allowed a sack in each of the three preseason games, and the Steelers added Davis on cutdown day to provide depth at every spot except center. Dotson will start at left guard, but did he win the competition or did Green lose it? Okorafor will return at right tackle, but don’t be surprised if he moves to the left side if Moore continues to struggle. Scott provides a veteran option at tackle, and Hassenauer will be the backup center.
Defensive line
Cameron Heyward, Tyson Alualu, Larry Ogunjobi, Chris Wormley, Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal, Montravius Adams
The health of Heyward, Alualu and Ogunjobi will go a long way in determining whether the Steelers can put last year’s run-stopping issues to rest. After Stephon Tuitt’s retirement, the Steelers acted quickly to sign Ogunjobi, who is adept at rushing the passer and stopping the run.
Wormley will be the top backup, and Adams will be used to spell Alualu. The Steelers are counting on Loudermilk to improve over his rookie season and contribute to the rotation. Leal likely will use his rookie season as a developmental year.
Outside linebacker
T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Malik Reed, Jamir Jones
Watt, the defending NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is the only proven commodity on a unit that underwent several changes in the past week. Highsmith will start for the second year in a row on the right side as he looks to build on his six sacks from 2021. A rib injury, though, kept him off the field for the entire preseason and will bear monitoring heading into the opener.
Dissatisfied with the depth at the position, GM Omar Khan traded for Reed, a fourth-year veteran, and brought back Jones on a waiver claim. Reed totaled 13 sacks over the 2020-21 seasons and could push for increased playing time if Highsmith gets off to a slow start.
Inside linebacker
Myles Jack, Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, Marcus Allen, Mark Robinson
Jack represents an improvement over another former Jacksonville player the Steelers used at the position last season, Joe Schobert. Bush opens the season as the most scrutinized defensive player. He continued to have difficulty shedding blocks in the preseason and could share time with Spillane to open the season.
Robinson, the former running back and seventh-round pick, was impressive enough in camp and the preseason that the Steelers could give him an increased role as the season unfolds. Allen was re-signed after final cuts because of his special teams contributions.
Cornerback
Cam Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon, Levi Wallace, Arthur Maulet, James Pierre
Sutton’s versatility allows the Steelers to move him inside on passing downs and use Witherspooon and Wallace on the outside. The Steelers signed both outside corners to two-year deals after moving on from Joe Haden.
Maulet is an option at the slot corner position. He was perhaps set to take on a bigger role after playing 35% of the defensive snaps last season until a hamstring injury slowed him during the preseason. Pierre beat out Justin Layne for the final corner spot.
Safety
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Terrell Edmunds, Tre Norwood, Miles Killebrew
After leading the Steelers in tackles a year ago, Fitzpatrick was in line to get more freedom roaming the secondary. Those plans may have changed when Damontae Kazee was injured in the preseason finale.
Kazee had carved out a role as a third safety in subpackages until his arm injury landed the former Dallas Cowboys safety on injured reserve. The Steelers may not feel as comfortable with Norwood or Killebrew filling that void on a regular basis. Norwood was used as a dime linebacker in the preseason. Killebrew’s biggest value comes on special teams.
Specialists
Chris Boswell, Pressley Harvin III, Christian Kuntz
Boswell was rewarded with a contract extension in training camp that made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid kickers. Harvin and Kuntz are back for their second seasons. The Steelers remained patient with Harvin’s inconsistent punting last season, and they felt comfortable enough to release his camp competition in the first round of cuts.
The Steelers also showed their satisfaction with Kuntz as their long snapper by not bringing in anyone to compete with the Chartiers Valley and Duquesne product.