The Steelers packed their bags on Sunday and put Saint Vincent College in the rearview mirror. During the three-week training camp, several key position battles began to come into focus, including QB2, WR3 and CB3. While there’s still time for things to change with two preseason games remaining, let’s take a look at where the depth chart stands as the Steelers leave Latrobe.
QB2: Mason Rudolph leads Will Howard
Howard may have taken second-team reps during OTAs, but the competition flipped when the Steelers reported to Latrobe. Sitting firmly in the backup spot, Rudolph got the start in the preseason opener and played well. The ball never touched the ground, as he completed 10 of 11 passes (on the lone incompletion, Germie Bernard caught the pass but couldn’t get his second foot down in the end zone).
Meanwhile, Howard’s preseason debut was a mixed bag. He orchestrated a successful two-minute drill, but also made a poor decision to put the ball into harm’s way on a third down. The final two preseason games will be important for Howard if he’s going to prove to the coaching staff that he can be Rodgers’ backup this season. The possibility of keeping four quarterbacks seems to be gaining momentum.
RB3: Kaleb Johnson falling behind
Johnson carried the ball just two times for three yards against the Packers. Truthfully, the only time I really noticed him he was getting chewed out on the sideline by special teams coach Danny Crossman. Cutting a third-round pick one year after he’s drafted would be a tough look for the Steelers, but it sure seems to be trending that direction based on the way the carries have been split in practices and in the first preseason game.
As for the others, it could come down to what the Steelers want from this spot on the depth chart. Lew Nichols is pretty clearly the better running back, showing good vision and burst in the preseason game. Travis Homer, meanwhile, struggled to pick up a blitz that led to a sack and didn’t have as much juice as a ball carrier. Considering the third RB on the depth chart mostly plays special teams, and Homer is an ace in this phase (currently, he serves as the personal protector on the punt team, for example), he has the edge.
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WR3: Roman Wilson leads Germie Bernard
When DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. were healthy, Wilson got the overwhelming majority of the WR3 snaps in 11 personnel. He’s made the most of the opportunity. Rodgers has praised him on numerous occasions. And it’s more than just lip service, as Wilson put together a strong couple weeks in Latrobe. That said, he had a quiet preseason game on Thursday. For a player who has looked good in practice settings before, you’d still like to see him show in games what we’ve been seeing at practice.
While Bernard appears to be pretty clearly behind Wilson on the depth chart, the rookie had a strong preseason debut. His run-after-catch ability, in particular, stood out. He spun out of a couple tackles and ran through others. Both young players should get time with the first-team offense during the season, but right now Wilson has a pretty clear edge based on how the team has split reps during camp.
RG: Spencer Anderson leads Brock Hoffman, Gennings Dunker far behind
What appeared to be a three-man competition entering training camp is down to just two contenders: Anderson and Hoffman. While Dunker is already a mauling run blocker, he still has work to do in pass protection and has sometimes struggled during one-on-one reps. During the final days of camp, the Steelers tinkered with some different combinations up front, and Hoffman got some elevated reps with the first-team offense. Still, Anderson remains in pole position.
Starting RT: Dylan Cook leads Max Iheanachor
Iheanachor looked the part his first two days in pads, showing lateral agility, athleticism and length. For a minute, it looked like he could give Cook a run for the starting job as early as Week 1. However, an ongoing injury has added a major variable. Since Iheanachor left the field on Aug. 6, he has been in pads just once. (He participated only in individual drills a few days after the injury.) McCarthy said on Sunday that he doesn’t anticipate Iheanachor will appear in the second preseason game. Until the rookie gets healthy, it’s going to be hard for him to overtake Cook.
Starting ILB in base: Payton Wilson has new competition
Through the first two weeks of camp, it appeared that Wilson had solidified his spot next to Patrick Queen in the base defense. Then the Steelers signed Elandon Roberts. Roberts’ physical, downhill playing style is well-known, but his role on this year’s team is to be determined. Is he simply quality depth and a replacement for Malik Harrison? Or can Roberts legitimately challenge Wilson for the starting role in the base defense? As of the final camp practice, Wilson was still the starter. Roberts, Cole Holcomb and Carson Bruener were part of a three-man rotation on the second team.
Depth Safety: Rayshawn Jenkins enters the conversation
Behind the starting tandem of DeShon Elliott and Jaquan Brisker, the Steelers continue to search for quality depth. Rookie Robert Spears-Jennings received a lot of early playing time with the first-team defense, as Elliott missed the first part of camp with injury and Brisker has been sidelined over the last week or so. While Spears-Jennings looks better than a seventh-round pick, he’s also looked like a rookie at times. Lately, Jenkins has been getting the first-team looks next to Elliott. Perhaps Pittsburgh will still look for a safety (preferably a true free safety) to add around cut-down day.
CB3: Asante Samuel Jr. takes control and makes his case for more
Entering camp, it seemed there could be a competition between Samuel, Daylen Everette and Brandin Echols for the CB3 spot. With Joey Porter Jr. sidelined, Samuel has been stellar. He’s played well enough that the Steelers may look to find ways to put him on the field more often, either in sub packages or in particular matchups.