Steelers 53-Man Roster Prediction: Changes Coming at WR, CB
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are just days away from roster cuts, where they'll finalize their 53-man roster and begin preparation for Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.
It's been a summer full of competition for the Steelers, with plenty of names emerging that could sneak their way onto the final roster. On the other hand, some veterans who were expected to be easy calls may have found themselves on the outside looking in.
For the last time in 2023, here is our Steelers 53-man roster prediction.
Quarterback (3)
- Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph
Tanner Morgan gave it his best effort this summer, but the chances he was going to beat out two veterans were slim. The Steelers will stick with the same three quarterbacks they operated with a year ago.
Running Back (3)
- Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland
Anthony McFarland has earned himself a roster spot, and could even be utilized this season. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren look like the 1-2 punch the Steelers have needed for years.
Fullback (1)
- Connor Heyward
Heyward will be used as a fullback, halfback, tight end and receiver. The Swiss Army Knife of the Steelers offense has taken a massive step forward in his development from his rookie year to now. It'll be interesting to see where he finds the most success.
Wide Receiver (5)
- Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson, Calvin Austin, Gunner Olszewski
Myles Boykin and Dez Fitzpatrick took their competition right down to the wire, but having a sixth wide receiver isn't a necessity. The Steelers will find another special teams player elsewhere in their roster to accommodate the loss of both of them.
Chances are they lose Boykin to waivers, but Fitzpatrick might be able to slip through to the practice squad, where he'll be considered an easy call-up when needed.
Tight End (3)
- Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Zach Gentry
Zach Gentry might be the 53rd player on this roster, but he sneaks through. Darnell Washington's development made it tough to make a case for four (including Heyward) tight ends, but Gentry is a better player than Boykin and Fitzpatrick, and wouldn't be more difficult to replicate if the Steelers needed to during the season.
Offensive Tackle (3)
- Dan Moore Jr., Chukwuma Okorafor, Broderick Jones
Spencer Anderson, who is listed as a center here, is the team's fourth offensive tackle. Two rookies isn't ideal, but the Steelers should feel comfortable in Broderick Jones as their backup, and should hope Anderson doesn't need to see the field.
Offensive Guard (4)
- James Daniels, Isaac Seumalo, Kevin Dotson, Nate Herbig
The injuries to Nate Herbig and Kevin Dotson are concerning. If the Steelers need to place either of them on Injured Reserve, expect Kendrick Green to replace possibly Gentry on the initial 53-man roster. Pittsburgh will try to get him back after placing either player on IR.
Center (2)
- Mason Cole, Spencer Anderson
Anderson is versatile enough to stick around. The Steelers got a true utility piece in their seventh-round rookie, and he's earned a spot over names like Green, Dylan Cook and Ryan McCullum.
Nose Tackle (2)
- Keeanu Benton, Breiden Fehoko
Montraveius Adams is the odd man out here, and it's a tough call to make. All eight of the Steelers interior defensive linemen looked great throughout the summer, but you don't need all the depth at one position. Fehoko and Benton are the two they'll keep in the middle.
Defensive Tackle (3)
- Cam Heyward, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Armon Watts
Watts sneaks his way onto the roster as a rotational piece who can play all three positions. This allows the Steelers to utilize DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk where they want them to play.
Defensive End (2)
- Larry Ogunjobi, DeMarvin Leal
Of all the defensive line battles, this one didn't have much. Leal and Ogunjobi were the two from the start. If Ogunjobi needs to miss time, it's tough to say how they'll go about replacing him.
Outside Linebacker (4)
- T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Markus Golden, Nick Herbig
The Steelers might have the best outside linebacker room in the NFL. Nick Herbig looks like a star, but Markus Golden had himself a very impressive preseason as well. How they're going to use all four during the regular season is hard to imagine, but they have the option if they'd like to take advantage of it.
Inside Linebacker (5)
- Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Kwon Alexander, Mark Robinson, Tanner Muse
Tanner Muse and Nick Kwiatkoski became a very interesting battle, but Muse offers more special teams value, and because of that, he's sticking around. Kwiatkoski can hopefully land on the practice squad.
Cornerback (4)
- Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace, Joey Porter Jr., Outside Signing
The Steelers still need a fourth cornerback, and they'll have to wait until roster cuts happen to find one. James Pierre went backward this summer, and Luq Barcoo was not the solution. Chandon Sullivan will offer a security blanket on the outside if needed.
Nickelback (2)
- Chandon Sullivan, Elijah Riley
The Steelers keep both nickelbacks. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said both players offer value in other areas, which opens the door to keeping both. Riley becomes the team's backup safety, who would play over Miles Killebrew if needed. He also offers special teams value. Sullivan can play on the outside.
Safety (4)
- Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, Miles Killebrew
Kenny Robinson had a good shot to make this team this summer, but his slowdown at the end of the preseason makes it tough to keep him. Riley will known both positions, just in case. Killebrew's special teams ability keeps him around.
Kicker (1)
- Chris Boswell
BT Potter's job wasn't to win the competition over Boswell this summer, it was to showcase he's capable of kicking if Boswell misses time during the season.
Punter (1)
- Pressley Harvin
Despite a strong effort from Braden Mann, Pressley Harvin walks away the winner for another season.
Long Snapper (1)
- Christian Kuntz
Kuntz continues to grow as a special teams tackler, which makes him a pretty valuable long snapper.
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