The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 offseason practices concluded in the middle of June. Next up is the team’s annual training camp, which will get underway in late July at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
Ahead of that, we will preview the team’s offseason roster three players at a time as part of a multi-post series. This Steelers 90-in-30 roster preview, which includes outlooks for every player, is organized alphabetically by last name for an easy follow-along.
This series figures to exceed 90 players this year as the team can carry 91 players during the offseason due to the allowance of one international player designation.
The next three players we will preview ahead of the Steelers 2026 training camp are: OLB T.J. Watt, OLB Julius Welschof, and WR Levi Wentz.
OLB T.J. Watt: The 2025 season certainly was a disappointing one overall for Watt, especially when it comes to his sack total. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year registered 7 sacks to go along with 55 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hits, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, eight passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries in regular-season play. In the Steelers’ lone playoff game, Watt registered six total tackles, one quarterback hit, and one fumble recovery.
Watt played in 14 regular-season games last season, missing three consecutive contests late in the year due to a partially collapsed lung that was a result of a dry-needling procedure gone awry. Watt logged 812 total regular-season snaps on defense in 2025 to go along with 28 snaps on special teams.
Pro Football Focus gave Watt an overall defensive grade of 74.2 for the 2025 regular season. That was his lowest PFF grade since his 2017 rookie season. PFF also charged Watt with eight missed tackles in 2025, which probably played a part in his tackling grade coming in at 47.3.
While Watt did move around a tiny bit throughout the 2025 season, it wasn’t enough to really move the needle in that category. A huge majority of his 2025 defensive snaps came with him lining up on the left side, which has been his primary side for most of his NFL career.
Watt, according to PFF, was the most-chipped edge rusher in the NFL in 2025, and he finished high in its double-teamed statistic as well. Watt produced just an 8.5% pressure rate when chipped in 2025, according to Next Gen Stats, contributing to his 9.8% overall pressure rate, his second-lowest mark since at least 2018.
Outlook: Obviously, the Steelers want and need Watt to get back into the double-digit sack category in 2026 and hopefully with that final number being in the mid-teens or higher. As part of accomplishing that feat, Watt needs to stay healthy throughout the season.
The Steelers might be inclined to move Watt around more in 2026 in an effort to hopefully give him more one-on-one matchups, or at the very least, lower his overall chip percentages. Watt can still be a game wrecker in the NFL. To continue that, however, the Steelers should seriously consider having Watt drop into coverage at a much lower rate than was the case in 2025.
Watt will more than likely want to log around 80-85 percent of all defensive snaps played by Pittsburgh in 2026. That percentage seems attainable if he and the team’s other outside linebackers remain healthy for most of the regular season.
While Watt’s chances of being the NFL’s Defensive Player of the year in 2026 are likely very low entering the season, he can still return to being one of the league’s best edge rushers. He obviously could end the 2026 season as the team’s most valuable player, especially if he hits the 15 sacks or more mark and is responsible for several takeaways throughout the year.
Should, however, Watt’s 2026 season wind up being a huge disappointment, and it includes him missing several more games due to injuries, we might be talking about him possibly being jettisoned during the offseason as he is scheduled to earn another $42 million in cash in 2027.
If the Steelers hope to win their first playoff game since 2016 in 2026, Watt will obviously need to play a big part in such a feat being accomplished.
OLB Julius Welschof: This year will mark the third training camp for Welschof as a member of the Steelers as he originally entered the NFL with the team in 2024 as an undrafted free agent and has been listed as an International Pathway Program player. He spent the entire 2025 season on the Steelers’ practice squad as an exempt player due to his international designation.
Last year during the preseason, Welschof registered three total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit in the 85 total defensive snaps that he played. He also logged another 32 snaps on special teams during the three preseason games Pittsburgh played in 2025. He also logged playing time at both outside linebacker positions throughout the preseason.
As a rookie undrafted free agent in 2024, Welschof, who measured in at his 2024 pro day at 6065, 257 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms and 10 1/4-inch hands, played 122 snaps on defense and 18 more on special teams in the team’s three preseason contests. He finished the 2024 preseason with four total tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits. After Welschof suffered a knee injury in the 2024 preseason finale, he unfortunately landed on the team’s Reserve/Injured list to start the regular season.
The Steelers later waived Welschof from the Reserve/Injured list with an injury settlement after the start of the 2024 regular season. After he had recovered from his knee injury, Welschof signed with the Steelers’ practice squad in November 2024, and he remained on that unit the remainder of that season.
Outlook: As an exempt International Pathway Program player once again this offseason, Welschof certainly seems poised to land on the Steelers’ practice squad once again later this summer. The Steelers’ outside linebacker depth chart is flush with talent entering training camp so it’s hard to imagine Welschof ultimately landing a spot on the 53-man roster to open the 2026 regular season.
At this point, Welschof knows the drill when it comes to training camp and the preseason. He should be more than ready to show off what he has learned from the other experienced outside linebackers on the roster this summer. We should see Welschof play quite extensively during the three preseason games and at both outside linebacker positions to boot. More limited special teams snaps also figure to be in Welschof’s preseason future.
Assuming that Welschof can stay healthy throughout the summer, he feels destined to start the 2026 regular season on the Steelers’ practice squad as their exempt player on that unit. Assuming that happens, it could ultimately wind up being his last year in the NFL, especially if he’s unable to get himself elevated or promoted to the 53-man roster at some point during the 2026 regular season.
WR Levi Wentz: Originally signed in May by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Wentz, who was born in Pittsburgh and attended Pine-Richland High School in Gibsonia, was signed by the Steelers in the middle of June.
With Kansas in 2025, Wentz, who had previously played collegiately at Old Dominion (2021–2022) and Albany (2023–2024), registered 16 receptions for 258 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. Six of Wentz’s 16 receptions in 2025 resulted in gains of 16 yards or more and three of those went for 25 yards or longer. His longest gain in 2025 was for 50 yards
For his college career, Wentz recorded 71 receptions for 1,152 yards and four touchdowns. He also logged two carries for one yard and returned six punts for 45 yards and 14 kickoffs for 329 yards in 2023 at Albany. Wentz mostly played as an outside wide receiver during his college career, but he did log some limited snaps in the slot.
At his 2026 pro day, Wentz measured in at 6023, 199-pounds with 31 1/2-inch arms and 9 7/8-inch hands. He ran his pro day 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, and he posted a vertical jump of 34.5 inches to go along with a broad jump of 10’5″. Wentz’s pro day short-shuttle time was 4.31 seconds, and his three-cone time was 7.03 seconds.
Outlook: As a late offseason arrival in Pittsburgh, Wentz will have an extremely hard time sticking on the Steelers’ 91-man roster throughout training camp and the preseason. Due to a loaded wide receiver depth chart, Wentz will more than likely be battling for a practice squad spot with the Steelers once training camp gets underway.
While Wentz logged some time as a punt and kickoff returner in college, that only happened during his 2023 season at Albany. His other playing time on special teams throughout his college career is pretty nondescript overall.
Should Wentz ultimately stick on the offseason roster throughout all of training camp, he would figure to receive some late playing time during the preseason. It will be interesting to see if he returns any punts or kickoffs in any of the Steelers’ three playoff games. He will likely need to flash as a wide receiver in his limited preseason action and also show some promise on special teams to give himself a shot at being a practice squad candidate to open the 2026 regular season.
Previous Posts In This Series:
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Drew Allar, Spencer Anderson, Kyler Baugh
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Jaheim Bell, Keeanu Benton, Germie Bernard
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Yahya Black, Chris Boswell, Devan Boykin
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Jaquan Brisker, Carson Bruener, Cole Burgess
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Sebastian Castro, Dylan Cook, Greg Crippen
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Jamin Davis, Joaquin Davis, Jamel Dean
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Rico Dowdle, Jack Driscoll, Gennings Dunker
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Brandin Echols, DeShon Elliott, Daylen Everette
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Pat Freiermuth
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — JJ Galbreath, Anthony Goodlow, Derrick Harmon
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Malik Harrison, Ahmari Harvey, Eli Heidenreich
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Jack Henderson, Nick Herbig, Cameron Heyward
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Alex Highsmith, Brock Hoffman, Cole Holcomb
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Travis Homer, Will Howard, Max Hurleman
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Max Iheanachor, D’Shawn Jamison, Kevin Jobity Jr.
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Kaleb Johnson, Cameron Johnston, Broderick Jones
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Steven Jones, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Donte Kent
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Christian Kuntz, Logan Lee, Dean Lowry
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Tamon Lynum, Laith Marjan, Ryan McCollum
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Mason McCormick, Lake McRee, DK Metcalf
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Doug Nester, Lew Nichols, Riley Nowakowski
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Esezi Otomewo, A.T. Perry, Michael Pittman Jr.
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Joey Porter Jr., Daryl Porter, Patrick Queen
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Rodgers, Gabriel Rubio
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Mason Rudolph, Asante Samuel Jr., Darnell Savage
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Jack Sawyer, Ben Skowronek, Doneiko Slaughter
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Brandon Smith, Robert Spears-Jennings, Lorenzo Thompson
90 In 30: Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview Series — Robert Tonyan, Jaylen Warren, Darnell Washington
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