Steelers rookie DB Donte Kent made an early splash at training camp, but an injury now has him falling substantially behind. As a seventh-round pick, he always faced a tough path toward a roster spot. Now set to miss the first preseason game, and possibly more, he can only watch and wait.
Going back to June, the Steelers expressed clear enthusiasm for Kent and his potential to contribute.
“We expect him to contribute sooner than later,” GM Omar Khan said, which is atypical for a late-round pick.
Although Khan could have been referring to special teams, including Kent’s return ability, it still showed heightened expectations. It’s not like they were saying that about Logan Lee last year. I went back and looked at all of our Lee articles from last year to be sure.
Since drafting Kent, the Steelers have only deepened the cornerback room. The top of the room is especially stacked, headed by Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay and now Jalen Ramsey. Brandin Echols appears the next man in line. Cory Trice Jr.’s injury places him in a vulnerable position, though, and Beanie Bishop Jr. and James Pierre can’t consider their jobs secure, either.
So while his injury makes his road difficult, it’s not an impossible one for Kent if he can return quickly. I’ve noticed him spending a good amount of time next to HC Mike Tomlin while injured. He’s also already shed a walking boot, an encouraging sign in his recovery.
Still, just two preseason games to earn a job for an end-of-the-roster guy is a major challenge — but not impossible. In 2020, Pierre made the Steelers’ 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie, and they didn’t even have a preseason. Of course, the NFL does have a preseason this year. Donte Kent just isn’t contributing right now due to injury, while most of his competitors are.
The fact that the Steelers seem content to leave WR Calvin Austin III on punt returns is another complication for Donte Kent. He has one season of college experience as a returner, but only on punts. Pittsburgh has a job opening for kick returns, but he hasn’t been in that line.
Of course, there’s nothing Kent can do about his injury, beyond focusing on rehabbing. It appears to be a relatively minor one, but he’s yet to return to practice and it’s unclear when he will do so. Each day he misses pushes him further and further off the roster bubble, and eventually, it will burst.
Provided Kent isn’t claimed off waivers, the Steelers would likely reserve a practice squad spot for him. If they do waive him, it will mark the first rookie draft pick they have waived since Khan took over as GM for the 2023 NFL Draft.
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