The preseason is the time for the sleepers to awaken, and the Steelers had a few of them last night. Particularly, a trio of rookie and first-year skill position players stood out for the offense last night. Now, I can’t say that any of them are definitely pushing for a roster spot, but they are stating their case.
Of the three sleepers, the most notable Steelers performance for me came from undrafted rookie WR Ke’Shawn Williams. On two receptions, he produced a game-high 55 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown. While that score came late in the game—and produced the winning points—it was still an impressive play. But he didn’t just catch passes. He also served as punt returner, and he looked threatening on a couple of them. On one, he broke out for 27 yards, but a penalty on CB Cameron McCutcheon negated it. McCutcheon got his comeuppance when he saw his interception negated by penalty later in the game.
Williams was one of two sleepers at wide receiver, the other fellow undrafted rookie Roc Taylor. He finished the game with two receptions for 38 yards, including a 22-yard deep-right snag from QB Skylar Thompson. Although I’m not including him in my “official” trio, he deserves a mention.
Both Williams and Taylor are likely competing for a spot on the practice squad, but it’s possible both could make it. Complicating matters is another of the Steelers’ sleepers, Max Hurleman. The team lists him as a running back, but he has functioned almost entirely as a wide receiver.
He functioned pretty well last night, including a three-yard touchdown. Even more notable was a 26-yard catch from Thompson that set up another touchdown.
Perhaps the performance I appreciated most, though, was that of first-year RB Lew Nichols. The thick-framed Central Michigan product ran with a level of physicality that surpassed anybody on the night. Granted, he got his work at the end of the game, and that needs to be considered. Still, he had some nice runs, finishing with 31 yards on six carries, plus a nine-yard reception. Of the Steelers’ sleepers in this game, I think he may have raised his profile the most.
With the expansion of the practice squad, teams tend to keep about eight or nine wide receivers in total, and usually five running backs. These sleepers can all legitimately compete for those roles on the Steelers’ practice squad. Perhaps some could even compete for more, though they have a short window in which to do it. While the entirety of the offseason is part of the evaluation, what you do in-stadium matters the most. And all of these guys did fine work inside the stadium last night.