Top 5 Steelers Training Camp Battles!

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Branton Beard. Follow him on Twitter @BrantonBeardo

Moore was taken in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL draft and has shown highs and lows throughout his time with the Steelers. Many fans are ready for Jones to take over the reins at the LT position, but does Moore shine in his third training camp and keep his starting position to begin the year?

2. Number Two Cornerback – Levi Wallace vs. Joey Porter Jr.

Another major story line throughout the draft this year is connected to the CB position. When the Steelers drafted Joey Porter Jr with the 32nd pick in the draft, it was quickly realized that the intention was for him to play as soon as possible. While Porter should see a significant amount of playing time this season, Steelers fan have been too quick to turn away from the Steelers number two man in interceptions last season in Levi Wallace.

Wallace led all CBs on the roster last season in picks, while racking up 48 combined tackles in his first season with the black and gold. Wallace has 10 career interceptions along with 205 solo tackles during his five seasons in the NFL. Wallace may not enter the season as CB 1 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his impact on the roster last year was felt. Expect Wallace to continue to make an impact on this roster and possibly enter the season claiming the CB-2 spot ahead of the young and hungry JPJ.

3. Middle Linebacker – Cole Holcomb, Mark Robinson, & Elandon Roberts

Possibly the most intriguing position to watch this training camp is the MLB position, as the Steelers did a complete overhaul at middle linebacker letting Myles Jack, Robert Spillane, and Devin Bush walk in free agency. They then went out in free agency and signed Elandon Roberts (29), and Cole Holcomb (26), two players that will look to fill one of the biggest holes on this roster for a few years now. The Steelers also have Mark Robinson entering his second year, after he showed many flashes and impressed Mike Tomlin towards the end of last season. Robinson flashed more than Bush, and had a great game where he displayed his speed, shooting the gaps against Baltimore last season.

Cole Holcomb played his first 4 seasons in Washington, combining for 388 total tackles along with 3 interceptions. Holcomb played in only 7 games last season after dealing with a sprained left foot but played in 43/48 games the prior 3 seasons.

Elandon Roberts is an 8-year veteran in the NFL, started his career playing 4 years in New England, then played the previous 3 seasons in Miami. During his time in Miami, Roberts combined for 251 total tackles and has 457 career total tackles. Roberts played in all 16 games the previous two seasons for the Dolphins and looks to be a sure tackler for the Black and Gold this season.

Training camp will give Steelers fans a good idea of who will start at middle linebacker for the Steelers this season. Who do you think deserves the top spots?

4. Kick/Punt Returner - Calvin Austin III vs. Gunner Olszewski

In training camp of 2022, the Steelers appeared to have a trio of options for kick returners, between Gunner Olszewski the former First Team All-Pro, Anthony Miller, who caught seven footballs at once in a fun spring drill, and the speedy rookie Austin III. As time went on both Miller and Austin went down with injuries, leaving the return job to Gunner, who had a down year -- averaging his lowest kick return yards average of his career at just 15.3 yards per attempt.

This year Calvin Austin III will get the chance to go up against Gunner Olszewski to see if he can take the role of kick returner for the 2023 NFL season. Who do you think will take the position this season? Austin has the bigger play potential, but likely comes with more turnover risk. Will the Steelers play it safe, or roll the dice?

5. Slot WR - Allen Robinson vs. Calvin Austin III

Ever since the departure of WR Chase Claypool last season, the Steelers have been working to fill the void at slot WR. This off-season the team traded for former Bears and Rams WR Allen Robinson, who has over 6,700 receiving yards along with 43 touchdowns in his productive career.  Robinson has already been spending time outside of practice working with second year QB Kenny Pickett, running routes and getting comfortable with his new signal caller. 

While the Steelers traded for Robinson, they still have another option for the primary slot position on the depth chart with the second year man in Austin. As previously mentioned, he was injured the entire 2022 season, so he will look to prove himself this year and show the league what he has to offer. Austin has received high praise from many players, including defensive rookie of the year Sauce Gardner, who told reporters that Austin was the toughest WR he had to play against in college football.

Who do you see winning these position battles, and which position battle are you most interested to see play out during training camp?

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