Mike Tomlin has some big decisions to make in coming weeks.
As the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Tomlin has to whittle his roster down to 53 players before the official start of the regular season. Like the rest of his peers, Tomlin has to make some close calls regarding players, positions, starting spots, etc.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the quarterback position has garnered most of the headlines in Pittsburgh over the past month-plus. Receiver has also been a hot-button topic, as the Steelers were reportedly trying to acquire Brandon Aiyuk via a trade with the 49ers.
Which quarterback will be the Steelers' Week 1 starter? Is the Steelers' receiving corps deep enough? What about the other positions? To help answer some of those questions, we've come up with position-by-position predictions for Pittsburgh's first 53-man roster for the 2024 season.
Quarterback (3)
Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen
Barring a horrid preseason finale from Wilson and an otherworldly performance from Fields, Wilson will be the Steelers' starting quarterback when Pittsburgh takes on Atlanta in Week 1. As well as Fields has played, he hasn't done quite enough to supplant Wilson, who in turn hasn't done anything to lose his pole position with about two weeks left before the season-opener.
That being said, expect new Steelers offensive coordinator to have some packages for Fields, similarly to how Pittsburgh used Kordell Stewart during in the mid 1990s.
Running back (3)
Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Cordarrelle Patterson
When this season is said and done, Harris and Warren may be considered as the NFL's best running back duo. Harris enters the 2024 season as the league's only player to rush for over 1,000 yards each of the past three seasons. Warren (who is currently dealing with a hamstring injury) averaged 5.1 yards-per-carry during his first two years in Pittsburgh.
Both backs will surely be focal points in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's run-first offense.
Fullback (2)
Most NFL teams don't employ one fullback, let alone two. But Colletto has impressed this summer, and given Smith's affinity for running the football, having an extra fullback is probably not a bad idea.
Wide receiver (6)
George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Dez Fitzpatrick, Scott Miller
Miller got the nod over Quez Watkins for the sixth and final spot, largely because of his experience (he caught a big touchdown from Tom Brady that helped the 2020 Buccaneers reach the Super Bowl). Miller also led the Steelers in receptions through the first two preseason games.
Pickens appears to be on the verge of a breakout season, but will he get enough support from Pittsburgh's other wideouts? That question may not reveal itself until Week 1, although Jefferson has shown promise.
Tight end (2)
Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward (counted as FB)
This is a promising group led by Freiermuth, whose red zone productivity should increase this year with Smith as the OC and Wilson under center. Washington is a valued blocker who may get more opportunities this year as a receiver. Heyward, a Swiss Army knife of sorts, caught Pittsburgh's lone touchdown during the first two preseason games.
Offensive line (10)
Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Isaac Seumalo, James Daniels, Dan Moore Jr., Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook, Ryan McCollum
This group has been under siege this preseason, but it should be a much more cohesive group when the regular season starts.
Fautanu is working his way back from an injury. Jones is also dealing with an injury (he injured his elbow during a recent practice), but his comments Tuesday seemed to suggest that he may be dealing with it for some time. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, it has some depth at tackle with Moore, the team's starter since 2021.
Pittsburgh's interior is manned by seasoned pros Daniels and Seumalo, the latter of whom may be one of the team's most underrated players. Frazier, the team's second-round pick, will start after Nate Herbig recently suffered a season-ending injury.
"He is as advertised," Tomlin said of Frazier on Tuesday. "He is mature beyond his football years. He is highly competitive. He has really good leverage.
"Obviously, there is a lot of growth ahead of him, but he has time to do it. We will just keep working day-to-day."
There are question marks regarding the experience of the unit's backups, though. Anderson and Cook have eight regular season appearances and zero starts between them. McCollum, who is now projected as Frazier's primary backup with Herbig out, hasn't played in a regular season game since 2021 as a member of the Lions. Like Frazier, McCormick is a promising player but a rookie nonetheless.
Defensive line (6)
Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Larry Ogunjobi, DeMarvin Leal, Montravius Adams, Dean Lowry
There's been a lot of buzz this summer about Leal, a three-year veteran who may get some time this season at outside linebacker. That would provide more opportunities at DT for Adams, a reliable veteran who has also had a good training camp/preseason.
For years, the leader of this group has been Heyward, who last year saw his run of six consecutive Pro Bowl nods end due to an injury. Now 35 years old, Heyward is hoping to play well enough this year to earn a contract extension that would allow him to finish his career in Pittsburgh.
Linebacker (8)
T.J. Watt, Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Payton Wilson, Tyler Matakevich, Jeremiah Moon
Historically known for having great linebacker units, Pittsburgh's current group doesn't disappoint. It's led by Watt, a former Defensive Player of the Year recipient who is 3.5 sacks away from becoming the third player in NFL history to reach 100 sacks before turning 30.
Highsmith is a worthy Robin to Watt's Batman, and Nick Herbig is a pretty good sidekick, too. The Steelers' depth at OLB took a hit, though, with Markus Golden's surprising retirement announcement.
The Steelers' inside linebacker corps is manned by the veteran Roberts and newcomer Queen, a Pro Bowler last year with the Ravens. The team recently re-signed Matakevich (who started his career in Pittsburgh before spending the last four years in Buffalo) and are expecting big things from rookie third-round pick Wilson.
Cornerback (6)
Donte Jackson, Joey Porter Jr., Beanie Bishop Jr., Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, Thomas Graham Jr.
Porter and Jackson are a formidable duo, but the depth behind them is cause for concern. Bishop, an undrafted rookie, is in line to start at nickel back. Trice has played well this summer, but he's coming back from an injury that wiped out his entire rookie season. Both players will have to live up to their potential if this unit is going to be a strength this season and not a weakness.
Fortunately, the Steelers will get reinforcements at cornerback following Cam Sutton's return from an eight-game suspension to start the season.
Safety (4)
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Miles Killebrew, Damontae Kazee
There's a lot to like about to group, starting with Fitzpatrick, a three-time All-Pro who is recognized as arguably the NFL's best free safety. This year, Fitzpatrick appears to have a teammate in Elliott who will allow him to be free to be the playmaker that he is capable of being in pass coverage.
Kazee is a seasoned veteran who is capable of making splash plays. The same can be said of Killebrew, who is also one of the league's top special teams players.
Special Teams (3)
Cameron Johnston (P/H), Chris Boswell (K), Christian Kuntz (LS), Cordarrelle Patterson (KR - counted as RB), Calvin Austin III (PR - counted as WR)
The Steelers have one of the league's most reliable kickers and Boswell, who is also the team's second-longest tenured player behind only Heyward. Pittsburgh is literally sky high for Johnston, its new punter who averaged a whopping 56.8 yards per punt Saturday against Buffalo.
For their returners, the Steelers have the speedy Austin and an extremely proven returner in Patterson, who has nine career kickoff returns for scores.
