With the Pittsburgh Steelers reporting to the Saint Vincent School in Latrobe on Wednesday for the beginning of their 2025 coaching camp, it’s time for me to lastly throw out my preliminary 53-man roster prediction for the staff.
As standard, I’ve included some evaluation beneath every place group. I invite you to publish your personal variations within the feedback beneath together with your personal 53-man roster prediction.
My subsequent stab on the Steelers’ 53-man roster will probably be posted proper earlier than the staff’s first preseason sport. After that, one will come after every preseason sport.
Offense (24)
Quarterbacks (3) – Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard
Evaluation: Barring any accidents to Rodgers, Rudolph, or Howard this summer season, these needs to be the three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster come Week 1. Because of this Skylar Thompson needs to be the odd quarterback out. I actually need to see Howard mess around 100 snaps throughout the preseason.
Working Backs (3) – Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell
Evaluation: Warren ought to start the 2025 common season because the starter with Johnson, a third-round draft decide this, and Gainwell, a flexible free agent addition, each poised to see some motion within the backfield originally of the season. The Steelers nonetheless have Cordarrelle Patterson on the roster, however barring an harm, I feel he’ll wind up being one-and-done in Pittsburgh. Particularly if the Steelers can decide on a special participant to return kickoffs by Week 1.
Vast Receivers (5) – DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Robert Woods, Ben Skowronek
Evaluation: When you get previous my high three of Metcalf, Austin, and Wilson, there may be definitely some dialogue available. Does Woods have something left as an offensive participant at his age? Can one other large receiver or participant from a special place group unseat Skowronek as a gunner and particular groups participant? Will the Steelers add one other veteran large receiver corresponding to Gabe Davis? May they take into account carrying six large receivers on their preliminary 53-man roster as an alternative of 5? We’ll work by means of all of these questions as coaching camp rolls on. I’ve Scotty Miller touchdown on the follow squad proper now.
Tight Ends/Fullbacks (4) – Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward
Evaluation: There’s a number of assist for rookie undrafted free agent FB DJ Thomas-Jones forward of coaching camp getting underway. Moreover, a number of followers are pondering that Connor Heyward’s time on the roster ought to now be up. I get each of these sentiments. Nonetheless, till I’ve extra of a cause to not have Connor Heyward on my 53-man roster, he’ll stay on it. He’s an above-average particular groups participant. The Steelers will maintain no less than 4 at this mixed place group and probably even 5 in whole, relying on how the roster math performs out. For now, I’ve Thomas-Jones on the Week 1 follow squad.
Offensive Linemen (9) – Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Troy Fautanu, Spencer Anderson, Calvin Anderson, Dylan Prepare dinner, Ryan McCollum
Evaluation: I’ve 9 as the ultimate depend and the primary listed 5 are the straightforward ones. Each of the Andersons really feel contained in the bubble forward of camp getting underway and the identical goes for McCollum, the one professional backup heart on the staff proper now. Prepare dinner, who was injured final 12 months, can play each deal with and guard. Has the staff written him off now? Can a youthful offensive lineman or two make the 53-man roster as one of many eight or 9? It’s believable. It is going to be fascinating to see if a veteran, probably a deal with, is added as one of many 9 earlier than the common season begins.
Protection (26)
Defensive Linemen (7) – Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Daniel Ekuale, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Esezi Otomewo, Yahya Black
Evaluation: There’s loads that must be found out these subsequent a number of weeks in relation to the backend of this place group. Certain, Cameron Heyward, Benton and Harmon are the straightforward ones. Ekuale, a free agent addition, and Black, a fifth-round draft choice this 12 months, each definitely really feel method contained in the 53-man roster bubble as effectively. Will the Steelers maintain six or seven defensive linemen in whole? I feel it will likely be seven. Proper now, I’ve Loudermilk and Otomewo grabbing the ultimate two spots. That would clearly change by Week 1. For now, I’ve Logan Lee, who missed all of his rookie season with a calf harm, beginning the 2025 season on the follow squad.
Inside Linebackers (5) – Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison, Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener
Evaluation: The largest query with these 5 inside linebackers could be Holcomb. He’s a bit cheaper this 12 months so except he struggles coming off of that 2023 knee harm, it will make sense to maintain him. As for Bruener, he needs to be very able to being a core particular groups participant for the Steelers all through his rookie season. Clearly, this may make ILB Mark Robinson expendable, and he may probably land on the follow squad.
Outdoors Linebackers (4) – T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
Evaluation: It’s not laborious to make these 4 the 4 exterior linebackers and it’s unlikely the staff will maintain greater than that quantity except a participant deeper on the depth chart simply has an awesome preseason on particular groups. For now, I’ve backup exterior linebackers Jeremiah Moon and Julius Welschof touchdown on the follow squad with the latter being there with the worldwide participant designation.
Cornerbacks (6) – Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Brandin Echols, Cory Trice Jr., James Pierre
Evaluation: Clearly, Ramsey and Slay are the brand new veteran additions to this place group and they need to be locks together with Porter. Echols was one other offseason free agent addition the staff had, and he definitely appears destined for a 53-man roster spot. Pierre is a rattling good particular groups participant and doubtless one of the best gunner on the roster. That leaves one spot open for Trice or Beanie Bishop Jr. I’ll give the sting to Trice, however he higher keep wholesome all summer season. For now, I’ll ship Bishop to the follow squad to open the common season.
Safeties (4) – DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew, Quindell Johnson
Evaluation: This could be the hardest place group to foretell on the heels of the Steelers buying and selling away S Minkah Fitzpatrick just a few weeks in the past. As issues stand proper now, Thornhill appears to be the highest free security on the staff. Will the Steelers signal a veteran improve earlier than Week 1? We’ll see. Killebrew is a particular groups demon and needs to be the captain of that group once more in 2025. He’s primarily a powerful security on protection as effectively. How about Johnson as a sleeper to be the fourth security? It’s a daring prediction, however he does have some NFL expertise as a price security and has performed on particular groups as effectively.
Specialists (3)
Kicker (1) – Chris Boswell
Evaluation: Barring an harm, Boswell needs to be a lock once more this season. His 2024 season was implausible, and he would possibly even get a 2025 money increase in some unspecified time in the future this summer season. The Steelers have rookie undrafted free agent Ok Ben Sauls underneath contract forward of coaching camp and the previous Pitt kicker ought to take a few of the summer season load off of Boswell.
Punter (1) – Cameron Johnston
Evaluation: Whereas Johnston is coming off of a severe knee harm in 2024, the expectations are for him to return to kind. He went down injured in Week 1 final season, so he’s had a number of time to rehab. Simply in case, the Steelers have P Corliss Waitman underneath contract this summer season. Whereas the chances most likely aren’t nice, perhaps the Steelers may commerce Waitman to a different staff in want of a punter simply previous to the beginning of the 2025 common season.
Lengthy Snapper (1) – Christian Kuntz
Evaluation: Kuntz is the incumbent lengthy snapper as soon as once more. Whereas the Steelers signed LS Tucker Addington to the offseason a number of weeks in the past, he’s not anticipated to threaten Kuntz for his job. With that mentioned, stranger issues have occurred previously.
Non-53-Man Spots (1)
Reserve/Injured (1) – Donald Parham Jr.
Evaluation: Parham sustained an Achilles harm throughout OTAs, and he has been on the staff’s Reserve/Injured checklist ever since. He’s more likely to stay on that checklist all through the 2025 season on a break up wage.
Observe Squad (17) – WR Scotty Miller, CB Donte Kent, DT Logan Lee, CB Beanie Bishop Jr., WR Brandon Johnson, RB Trey Sermon, ILB Mark Robinson, OLB Jeremiah Moon, G Nick Broeker, G/T Aiden Williams, T Doug Nester, FB DJ Thomas-Jones, RB Max Hurleman, TE JJ Galbreath, S Sebastian Castro, DT Domenique Davis, OLB Julius Welschof (INT exception)
Evaluation: Simply 17 dart throws at follow squad signings and all from the 91-man roster getting into coaching camp. The Steelers have a historical past of including a number of gamers launched from different NFL groups so clearly all 17 of my choices received’t hit. It is going to be fascinating, nonetheless, to see what number of of those 17 gamers do wind up beginning the 2025 common season on the follow squad.
Abstract: As is often the case, a number of these 53-man roster projected gamers are fairly apparent ones. There’s, nonetheless, fairly a little bit of wiggle room in relation to about 10 or so different spots in whole, and that’s the case yearly getting into coaching camp.
As standard, I wished to go along with Future Participant just a few occasions on this prediction, particularly at security, as a result of as historical past has proven us over time, there are more likely to be no less than one or two extra gamers on the Week 1 roster who weren’t with the staff in the beginning of coaching camp. I, nonetheless, selected to make this prediction revolve across the 91 gamers at the moment underneath contract after which work from there as coaching camp and the preseason progress. I’ve all however one in all this 12 months’s draft picks, CB Donte Kent, making the Week 1 53-man roster. I even have an odd 24/26 participant break up on offense and protection on this preliminary roster prediction.
