Steelers Position Battles to Watch This Summer

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Anthony DiCerbo. Follow him on Twitter @Snarfvenom

With the draft and the bulk of free agency in the past, the core of the 2022-2023 Steelers are together, but there is still a lot for Mike Tomlin and the rest of the coaching staff to figure out. There are key position battles set to take place all over the 90-man roster that is currently put together, and they will have a big ripple effect on who you’ll see on the field this fall. 

While most position groups on the roster are listed, a lot of the battles will be happening at the fringes of the roster, with the tops of those groups seeming solidified already. 

From the extremely obvious, to the lesser-known battles, there are several battles you should keep your eye on throughout the summer. 

Quarterback: Kenny Pickett vs Mitch Trubisky vs Mason Rudolph vs Chris Oladokun

I’ll start with perhaps the most obvious position battle on the roster. Who will start week one under center? The team has been persistent in saying the battle in camp will be an open competition, so in reality, it’s anyone’s job. In reality, the likely scenario is that it will be Mitch Trubisky’s job to lose. He was signed to be the starter, even if that is for just one season (or even just to start the year.) On the other side though, the team really doesn’t have a lot tied up in him, so if it looks like Pickett is ready to go and looks like the better quarterback the coaching staff will likely go with him. 

Poor Mason Rudolph is on the outside looking in. The team knows what they have in him, and then they went and added THREE more quarterbacks to the roster. His biggest competition in camp will likely come in the form of rookie Chris Oladokun. If Oladokun can inspire enough confidence in the coaching staff to view him as a third-stringer this year, with the potential to become the second string, that’ll likely lead the Steelers to cut ties with Mason either by trading him or outright releasing him to save the cap hit. 

Backup Running Back: Benny Snell Jr. vs Anthony McFarland Jr. vs Trey Edmunds vs Mateo Durant vs Jalen Warren

At the very least the Steelers know who will be getting the majority of their carries this season. Everything behind Najee Harris is very much up in the air. 

Najee is going to need some help carrying the load no matter who the starting quarterback is, and behind him, there are only two or three roster spots available for this group. It’s important that someone out of these backs takes the lead at some point because right now I think running back depth is the weakest spot on the roster. 

Third String Tight End: Kevin Radar vs Jace Sternberger vs Connor Heyward(?)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think the Steelers will find a way to keep the Watt and Heyward brothers together into the regular season. One way that they do it is by using Heyward as a third tight end when they want to run those sets. That doesn’t mean it has to be an easy decision for the team to make, and surely Kevin Radar and Jace Sternberger will try their best to make their way onto the final roster as the third tight end, and potentially bump one of the brothers off the roster. 

Final Wide Receiver Spots: Miles Boykin vs Anthony Miller vs Gunner Olszewski vs Steven Sims vs Tyler Vaughns vs Tyler Snead vs Cody White

The top of the receiver pecking order seems pretty easy to guess. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool mark the top returning receivers and then pair them with rookies George Pickens and Calvin Austin iii and you have a pretty solid top four. Below them is where things start to get really crowded in the receiver room. Miller spent most of last season on the practice squad but certainly has potential as a receiver, the team claimed Boykin off of waivers from Baltimore so we know the team is intrigued with him. Olszewski was signed primarily as a kick returner, but is that skill alone enough to make the team in this crowded room? Cody White dressed for a couple of games last year when the team had injuries, Sims and Vaughns have stuck around, and the team signed Tyler Snead to a contract after his rookie camp tryout. There aren’t many spots left below those top four, but there is plenty of talent still in the receiver room. I expect a really tough battle, and multiple guys making the practice squad from this bunch. 

Interior Offensive Line: Mason Cole vs Kendrick Green vs Kevin Dotson vs John Leglue

You can almost pencil in this group’s starters. The keyword there is almost. The tackles are more or less set with Dan Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okorafor both back. James Daniels is an upgrade at one of the guard spots, but the remaining two spots will see some competition. Many will guess that Cole and Dotson will get the nod at those positions, but I’m expecting it will be closer than many people think. Kendrick Green is coming off of a rough rookie year, but I think the potential is still there, but it is hard to tell whether that will be at guard or center. Mason Cole comes over from the Vikings, and projects as an upgrade over the Kendrick Green we saw last year, but he’ll likely have to earn the spot. John Leglue is an underrated name in this group. He finished the year out as a starter and stood out at times with his energy on the offensive line. I think he’s earned a fair chance to keep his spot. 

Defensive Line Depth: Isaiah Loudermilk vs Henry Mondeaux vs Daniel Archibong vs Montravius Adams vs Carlos Davis vs Khalil Davis vs Tre Mason vs Donovan Jeter 

Much like at receiver, the top of the order is for the most part set. Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Tyson Alualu, Chris Wormley, and DeMarvin Leal round out the top of the unit. Obviously, if Tuitt’s absence lingers on that opens room for another name on this list to make the team, but for now, I’ll include him. The Steelers typically carry 8 D-linemen and five of the spots seem locked up. That's not counting Adams who performed well last season and was re-signed, and the fact that the team drafted Loudermilk and Carlos Davis. Those seem to round out the likely eight-man group, but there will certainly be some good competition to knock one of those guys off the roster. Henry Mondeaux has managed to stay around for a while now, there is another Davis brother trying to make the team, and Archibong who was forced into action against the Chargers last year. Then there are still the UDFA who have managed to latch on with the Steelers following the draft and rookie minicamp, so there is always a chance for them as well. 

Inside Linebacker Depth: Ulysses Gilbert iii vs Mark Robinson vs Buddy Johnson vs Robert Spillane vs Marcus Allen

It's possible that all of these guys make the roster, but the pecking order behind Bush and Jack is very much in question. Robert Spillane has the experience, but I still think the others will have plenty of chances to push him for playing time. Marcus Allen has exceeded my expectations following his switch from safety to linebacker and even started games last season. I’m really interested to see the growth of Buddy Johnson into year two of his NFL career, and Mark Robinson’s growth as he continues to develop as a linebacker. It will certainly be interesting to see who gets the first nod after Bush and Jack as the summer goes on. 

Corner Depth: Justin Layne vs Arthur Maulet vs James Pierre vs Chris Steele vs Carlins Platel vs Linden Stephens

This unit hasn’t changed a ton since the end of last season, with the only major change coming in the form of swapping Joe Haden for Levi Wallace. Still, I think there is an opportunity for movement on the lower end of the depth chart. The Steelers don’t have a ton invested, so there could be room for an UDFA or lesser-known name to make their way onto the roster, though that would likely have to be done through special teams play. 

Backup Safeties: Karl Joseph vs Tre Norwood vs Damontae Kazee vs Donovan Stiner vs Miles Killebrew

Realistically, the starting safeties are set, with both Fitzpatrick and Edmunds back, but there is still a serious amount of talent below them. The team showed some serious faith in Norwood last season, so his growth into year two will be something to watch. Kazee was a late offseason addition that brings a good amount of starting experience to the group and was viewed as a potential option if the team didn’t bring back Terrell Edmunds. Karl Joseph has first-round pedigree on his side as well as playing experience, but his spot is very much up in the air. Killebrew was a special teams ace last season, but it remains to be seen if that value is enough to keep him here. Stiner is a name that has managed to stick around through the practice squad, and is looking to make noise in this crowded group. Not only will it be a close competition for playing time, but for roster spots as well. 

Conclusion

There are a lot of areas on this team that will see plenty of competition throughout camp. Playing time and roster spots are up for grabs in multiple places, and talented position groups like the DBs and Receivers will likely lead to some tough decisions for the team come time for final cuts.