PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have wrapped up their first week of OTAs, and will convene again next Tuesday for the second week of these practices. Who is coming out of the first looking better than they did?
Here are some winners and losers from the first week of Steelers OTAs:
Winner: WR Roman Wilson
In short order, the biggest winner of the week by far. Roman Wilson came into the first week with much to prove, but he seems ready and up to the challenge. He has a rare trait with his instant explosiveness and acceleration, and it shows on the field.
The ankle and hamstring injuries from last year of things of the past, as Wilson is fully healthy and looks great. Did he add some polish to his routes?
Wilson seems to have a more efficient process getting in and out of breaks, maintaining his elite accleeration throughout the entirety of the route rather than letting defensive backs come back into the picture.
Wilson cooked a defensive back on an out route on one play, then juked them out for a considerable gain after the catch. Those plays were not there last year, even before he got hurt.
It’s just three days but a good start for Wilson.
Loser: WR Roc Taylor
You can’t be a winner if you are not out there, and Roc Taylor has that exact issue. On Wednesday, Steelers Now uploaded a video showing Taylor working off to the side, a process and sign for a player who usually returns from an injury.
Taylor is talented, but he has to be healthy to showcase that, and since he was not, he lost out on valuable reps with DK Metcalf not around.
Winner: RB Kaleb Johnson
One of the week’s big winners, Kaleb Johnson, is already flexing just how detail-oriented he is as a player, a great sign for any rookie. He has vowed to fix his pass protection issues, and Johnson has been working relentlessly with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell to change that.
“We had drills today and it was straight pass protection. I really like that, because that’s something I really need to work on and something I really want to be reliable on when it comes down to it,” Johnson said. “I’m just out there working on my technique, my hips and everything like that. It’s been good. (Jaylen) Warren has been a huge help to me.”
Count me in on the train for Johnson. Even in 11-on-11 drills, which are limited at OTAs, Johnson flashed and has softer hands than you might think. He was not asked to do it much in Iowa.
Loser: QB Will Howard
Howard had a self-described ‘rough’ first practice; the eye test matched that. It was mostly related to his footwork, which will be of the utmost importance as he rounds into NFL form.
“The second I mess up and then get in my head and shut down, that’s when problems happen. I felt like Day 1, just wasn’t really comfortable yet, didn’t really know where my feet were, was a little off timing. And then Day 2 and 3, I think I’ve been a lot better,” Howard said.
It is far from unusual for a rookie quarterback to have first-week struggles, so this will be far more about watching how Howard progresses over the weeks and months than anything. Nothing to get concerned about, but he did not come in and light it up automatically.
Winner: CB Cory Trice
If he can just stay healthy, the Steelers might have something in Cory Trice. He had some incredibly promising reps against Ja’Marr Chase in their game last year, and Trice came out in the first week of OTAs again with a strong start to the offseason.
Can he stave off the injury bug and push for a role this season? We will see, but Trice looked fluid and instinctual to start his third year of OTAs.