It's still early, but it appears that the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 training camp will be remembered for Justin Fields and the promise he's shown during these early practices.
But Fields is only part of the story that's been unfolding in Latrobe. George Pickens continues to make jaw-dropping plays that only validate his incredibly lofty goal. Several notable position battles are playing out on the offensive line, while Pittsburgh's new faces on defense are quickly making their presence known.
Several Steelers have enjoyed strong starts at camp that could lead to defined roles with the team when the regular season kicks off in September. Let's take a look at the five standouts from Pittsburgh's first six practices from Saint Vincent.
Much has been made of Fields' start at camp, so we won't go overboard here. Just know that Fields has been putting his best foot forward while validating his comments back in the spring about wanting to compete with Wilson, who has the "pole position" as Pittsburgh's QB1.
Specifically, Fields' deep ball, his ability to evade pass rushers, and his running prowess have all been on display on a daily basis at Chuck Noll Field. Fields has quickly developed a rapport with Pickens; the duo connected on a pretty scoring pass on Tuesday.
It's also clear that Fields has endeared himself to his teammates, who had his back after Fields was popped by linebacker Elandon Roberts on a running play on Wednesday.
Consistency continues to be the main thing Fields has to go work on if he is going to be the Steelers' starting quarterback at some point down the road. But so far, it's hard to be anything but positive in regard to Fields' performance so far.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard the constant rumblings about the possibility of the Steelers acquiring a big-name receiver sometime before Week 1. They haven't yet, and Van Jefferson is probably one of the main reasons why.
A former Super Bowl-winning wideout with the Rams, Jefferson's first camp as a Steeler is off to a good start. He caught Fields' first big throw -- a deep completion on the far sideline -- on the first day of camp. On Wednesday, Jefferson caught a touchdown pass from Fields to help the offense defeat the defense in Seven Shots, a deep red zone drill pitting the two units against each other.
It looks like Jefferson is still as fast as he was when he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash as his pro day back in 2020. Jefferson's 40-time is identical to the one teammate Roman Wilson ran early this spring at the NFL Combine. Wilson was also enjoying a solid start to camp before he suffered an ankle injury on Tuesday that is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks.
It was hard not to notice each of Pittsburgh's top defensive acquisitions during the first week of camp. But Jackson especially stood out while quickly validating the Steelers' decision to bring him to Pittsburgh in the trade that sent wideout Diontae Johnson to Carolina.
During the first day of camp, Jackson broke up several passes and quickly made it known to his teammates and the thousands of fans in attendance. On Sunday, Jackson recorded the only interception of Fields during the first six days of camp.
Along with what he brings to the field, Jackson is also serving as a mentor for second-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
"I was always a big fan of him, so the fact that I'm playing with him is a dream come true," Porter recenlty said of Jackson, via the Post-Gazette. "I just try to learn from him every day, as much as possible."
What did Porter specifically like about Jackson growing up?
"I just liked his game play," Porter said. "I liked his chirpy-ness. He goes at people. That's what I try to do, too. We kind of have some similarities in that. I just like his game overall."
One of our players to watch entering camp, Bishop has not disappointed. An undrafted rookie who finished his college career at nearby West Virginia, Bishop is the front-runner to be the Steelers' starting nickleback when Pittsburgh opens the regular season in Atlanta.
Bishop (who led the nation last year in passes defended and pass breakups) showed his potential on Wednesday in one-on-matchups against Pickens. Bishop broke up the first pass before an official ruled that Pickens was unable to complete the catch on the next play.
"He gives you some speed (and) he gives you some ability to cover," said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, via PennLive. "He is -- from what we saw with college tape and things we are starting to see now -- a pretty tough guy, and he's a pretty competitive guy."
Wilson didn't get to the NFL by accident. During the first week of camp, the third-round pick impressed onlookers by routinely being the first player on the field. He's continued to impress during practice, especially in coverage. One of Wilson's most impressive plays so far was when he jarred the ball loose after Pat Freiermuth had caught a pass on a crossing route.
"He's a freak athlete," veteran Steelers safety DeShon Elliott recently said of Wilson, via DK Pittsburgh Sports. "He's really smart, he learns from his mistakes and he doesn't repeat them. So, down the line, I think he can be a great player. I've heard people say Luke Kuechly or something like that, but I think Payton is going to be Payton and he's going to be a great player in the NFL."
While currently slated as a backup, expect Wilson to see the field quite often, especially in sub-package situations.
