Steelers roster prediction
Steelers roster prediction
With the Steelers’ 28-9 preseason opener win in the books, it’s time to update our 53-man roster predictions. My last roster prediction came before training camp began, and as you will see, there is a decent amount of change. Of course, that tends to happen when you actually start to see things instead of hearing about them. And, you know, when they actually start hitting people and playing football. So here we go.
Offense (25)
Quarterback (3): Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard, Drew Allar
Perhaps bucking trends, I still have Mason Rudolph off the 53-man roster. This is based on my feeling that Howard will progress enough by September to convince Mike McCarthy he can be the backup, and the assumption that the Steelers can recoup something for Rudolph in a trade. As hard as it is to believe, sometimes contending teams keep inexperienced backup quarterbacks, including the Steelers in 2018.
Running Back (3): Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Travis Homer
This is the change I feel the worst about. Initially, I had the Steelers keeping four true running backs on their 53-man roster—I included Riley Nowakowski with the tight ends. I saw both Kaleb Johnson and Eli Heidenreich making the cut. But the former seems to have fallen out of favor, and the latter hasn’t done much yet. Meanwhile, Homer started the first preseason game and is an important special teams player. I don’t like it, but predictions aren’t preferences.
Wide Receiver (6): DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard, Kaden Wetjen, Ben Skowronek
As I wrote last time, the Steelers’ wide receiver room is probably the most locked-in part of the roster. It will be these six players, and no others. It doesn’t hurt that, since training camp started, Wetjen has shown he might be able to contribute on offense after all.
Tight End/Fullback (4): Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan, Riley Nowakowski
Welcome aboard, Robert Tonyan. The Steelers’ quarterbacks from top to bottom seem to love him, so it’s hard not keeping him on the roster. I don’t know how much he will play, but he’ll play more than Heidenreich or Johnson.
Offensive Line (9): Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, Zach Frazier, Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook, Max Iheanachor, Broderick Jones, Brock Hoffman, Gennings Dunker
While the Steelers have publicly flirted with keeping 10 offensive linemen on their 53-man roster, it’s just tough to do. And they won’t do it this year. C Ryan McCollum is the one who loses out, but he may slip through waivers. He might not, but that’s the risk. We’ll know much if Brock Hoffman starts taking more snaps at center, which is his “natural” position.
Defense (25)
Defensive Line (6): Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Yahya Black, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Gabriel Rubio
Goodbye Logan Lee, whom the Steelers placed on IR, and welcome to the 53-man roster, Gabriel Rubio. The rookie sixth-round pick may well tempt people to remember his name after all. Following a strong preseason debut, I expect he’ll start making more projected Steelers rosters.
Outside Linebacker (4): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
I mean, this is the group, and it’s not going to change. Yeah, Jamin Davis had a nice finish to the Steelers’ preseason opener, but it’s not enough. These are the Steelers’ edge rushers, the same as last year.
Inside Linebacker (5): Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener
Entering training camp, I predicted that Malik Harrison would squeeze onto the Steelers’ 53-man roster. That makes it easy to accommodate the Elandon Roberts signing with a one-for-one swap. They still keep five, but Roberts better brush up on his special teams work after playing zero such snaps in Vegas.
Cornerback (6): Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., Daylen Everette, Brandin Echols
Half of this group is on the sidelines injured, but the Steelers have some serious cornerback depth on this projected 53-man roster. Samuel in particular has been a comfort with how he’s stepped up this offseason, and Everette’s progress as a rookie is a pleasant surprise.
Safety (4): DeShon Elliott, Jaquan Brisker, Rayshawn Jenkins, Robert Spears-Jennings
If the Steelers keep four quarterbacks, the safety group is probably the one that takes a hit on the 53-man roster. For now, I’m holding firm there and carrying both Jenkins and Spears-Jennings for depth. Especially given the injury concerns when it comes to the starters, I want at least two backup safeties.
Specialist (3): Chris Boswell, Cameron Johnston, Christian Kuntz
As in most years, there’s not much to say. Chris Boswell, Cameron Johnston, and Christian Kuntz. These are your specialists, and none of them have any (real} competition.