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The Pittsburgh Steelers published their first depth chart of training camp on Tuesday. You can reference ithere.
As preseason game No. 1 approaches on Saturday in Jacksonville, let’s examine any surprises or glaring omissions. We’ll also predict how this first template will look by the start of the regular season — and by the end of 2025.
Quarterback: No surprises here with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Skylar Thompson listed in that order behind Aaron Rodgers. Howard’s handinjury, suffered on Tuesday, temporarily changes that. But this is how it will shake out in the end.
Running back: Having Kaleb Johnson behind both Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell feels like a forced “make the rookie earn it” ploy to me. That may be the way things are to start the season. My guess is, by year’s end, Johnson is the lead back. However, Gainwell has been quite good in camp so far this year.
And, yes, if a fourth back is kept, I’d expect it to be Trey Sermon. However, Evan Hull and Max Hurleman have certainly had their moments.
Wide receiver: I was hoping I’d click the link and see Terry McLaurin’s name alongside DK Metcalf as the two starters. No such luck.
Having Roman Wilson buried behind Calvin Austin, Robert Woods, and Scotty Miller appears to be a motivational tactic.
Based on Tuesday’s practice, it’s working. Wilson may have had his best day of the summer.
Tight end: Having two tight end positions, with Darnell Washington listed at one starting in front of Connor Heyward, says a lot about how intermixed and pervasive this position group will be.
Does putting an “or” between Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith matter? If Wilson starts to perform well on a frequent basis as a third receiver, maybe. But given Arthur Smith’s fascination with using as many tight ends as possible, I bet those two are out there together a ton — and often interchangeably.
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Fullback: Heyward is listed first here, for what that is worth. When healthy, D.J. Thomas-Jones is intriguing, although he isn’t at tight end at all.
Offensive line: Right now, the most important spot on the depth chart might be who the backup left tackle is to Broderick Jones. Right now, it is Calvin Anderson who has been banged up at Saint Vincent College. So my advice to him is to get healthy ASAP, and Dylan Cook had better stay light on his feet to potentially play both sides.
Defensive line: No surprises up front to start with Cam Heyward and Derrick Harmon on either side of Keeanu Benton. In time, I think Yahya Black will move up in front of Isaiahh Loudermilk, Logan Lee or Daniel Ekuale.
Outside linebackers: Having an “or” between Jack Sawyer and DeMarvin Leal is a moot point in my eyes. Sawyer should be the LOLB behind T.J. Watt with Nick Herbig backing up Alex Highsmith (who is currently injured with an apparent groin pull) on the right side.
Inside linebackers: Beyond Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen, Mark Robinson is listed behind Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison. I would still like to see one of these three emerge. Holcomb is still valiantly trying to come back from that horrible knee injury of two years ago. Robinson’s fierce enjoyment of contact could keep him viable on special teams, though, not to mention his potential use at fullback.
Secondary: Shaken up as this position group was after the Mikah Fitzpatrick trade, it’s settling in without much of a surprise. I was just curious, for the sake of nomenclature, how they’d list Jalen Ramsey (first-string nickel), Beanie Bishop (second-string nickel) and Brandin Echols (second-string RCB behind Joey Porter). Everything else is expected.
Kicker: Chris Boswell. Yup.
Punter: Best position battle on the team. It’s an “or” situation right now. I assume Cameron Johnston is going to win out because they want to see how that $9 million investment pays off for a full season after his knee injury last year. But Corliss Waitman is plenty deserving of a starting job and should latch on somewhere else quickly if he doesn’t land the starting gig here.
Returner: Having Gainwell (KR) and Austin (PR) in front of Warren and Miller looks like it could be a fluid thing depending on health and early-season effectiveness.
We will discuss this in depth during this Friday morning’s debut of the Mike’s Beer Bar “Friday Football Show” at 9a.m., and during the preseason podcast, which will post Saturday morning.
Listen: Tim Benz recaps Tuesday’s training camp practice at Saint Vincent College and speaks with defensive coordinator Teryl Austin in the latest “Letters from Camp” podcast
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.