Explaining Steelers Camp Stories: Kenny Pickett's Uphill Battle
Ben Roethlisberger and Kevin Colbert have both retired to go along with a new stadium name which leads the franchise into an entirely new era of Pittsburgh Steelers football. With so many fresh faces on the roster, this should certainly be an interesting camp, full of intense position battles across the board.
Who's QB1?
Pittsburgh inked former Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky to a two year, $14.28 million deal early during the free agency period. The Steelers played it safe by only guaranteeing $5.25M of the contract, hoping that Trubisky's one-year stop in Buffalo gave him some time to work on his mechanics in a better environment.
A plus athlete at the position, the former Tar Heel brings athleticism that should work well in what we assume Matt Canada looks like. His best work as a pro has occurred when working under center, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt with 13 touchdowns versus just three interceptions during his time in Chicago, per Sports Info Solutions.
As his challenger, enter the hometown hero, Kenny Pickett.
The Heisman trophy finalist was selected 20th by the Steelers in April's NFL Draft. A four-year starter for the Panthers, Pickett shattered just about every passing record in school history after a historic final season which saw him throw for over 4,300 yards and 42 touchdowns.
Also a good athlete for the quarterback position, Pickett operated mostly out of the gun in college and displayed the ability to do a lot of damage as a scrambler.
Pickett possesses the cleanest quarterback mechanics of anyone in the room currently and some of his best work is done in the intermediate areas of the field around the 20 yard mark. He faces an uphill battle for the job as a rookie that took mostly third team reps in OTAs, but the franchise made a significant investment in him just a few months prior so he'll still be given plenty of chances to show what he can do.
How Does the Cornerback Room Shake Out?
The Steelers opted to let Joe Haden, a longtime starter at the position, walk in free agency in the offseason. Instead, they opted to sign Levi Wallace, the de-facto CB1 in Buffalo last after Tre White suffered a season-ending injury.
Wallace owns a larger frame than Haden but has similar strengths in weaknesses. Last season was a career year for Wallace as he allowed just .6 yards per coverage snap, which ranked 7th best in the entire National Football league. He'll compete with Cam Sutton and Ahkello Witherspoon for boundary corner reps.
Sutton saw his playing time spike in his fifth season as a pro, logging 1,089 snaps on defense in his first season as a starter. Witherspoon was one of the Steelers' best players on either side of the ball after being inserted into the starting lineup as he boasted the lowest passer rating against (23.5) on the unit.
Regardless of who wins the starting job on the outside, Cam Sutton could very well factor into the slot position, as well. It's a role that he's contributed towards throughout his five year career in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers also brought back Arthur Maulet on a one year deal.
Maulet saw most of his work last season take place on early downs as his strength is more geared to working downhill into the backfield in run support. Tre Norwood will be in the conversation for sub-package work as he looks to build off his surprising rookie campaign that saw him amass 388 snaps on defense, a rather high number for a seventh round rookie.
An underrated move was bringing in Demontae Kazee over from Dallas. While Kazee is a safety by definition, he comes with plenty of experience in the slot. Still just 29-years-old, Kazee isn't the most reliable tackler but he brings a ballhawk mentality that every coach loves, leading the NFL in interceptions back in 2018.
Who Are the Starters Along the Interior Offensive Line?
The Steelers made one of the largest free agent investments ever by bringing in former Chicago Bears offensive lineman James Daniels during the free agency period.
Just 24-years-old, Daniels is a rock solid interior offensive lineman with plenty of experience playing multiple positions, including center, throughout his career. Daniels has had some serious flashes early on which lead to him lead to Brandon Thorn ranking him as the 13th best right guard in the league.
The Steelers also brought in Mason Cole and he's currently slated to become the franchise's new starting center. Cole presents an upgrade in the run game as he's capable of both reach blocking and getting to the second level. Cole played right guard last season when the Vikings and Steelers matched up so he comes with similar positional experience as Daniels.
Pittsburgh will also get Kevin Dotson back from a season-ending injury. Dotson shined bright as a rookie but got off to a rough start in 2021 before eventually finding himself on injured reserve. Dotson's an impressive pass blocker and one of the more talented individuals across the offensive line.
Kendrick Green seems to be in the mix for the starting left guard spot where he'll compete with Dotson throughout training camp. Green struggled mightily at center last season and could be looking at a switch back to guard where he primarily played in college at Illinois. Green will be fighting an uphill battle due to being undersized at the professional level.
The unit possesses a lot of positional versatility and youth but training camp will reveal which group gives them the best odds entering the season.
Are the Expectations Surrounding Tyson Alualu Reasonable?
Alualu unfortunately missed almost all of last season due to a fractured ankle. Mike Tomlin informed the media that his starting nose tackle will be going on the PUP list to begin training camp but didn't see the stint as a long-term diagnosis.
At 35-years-old, the Steelers are banking on him defeating father time for at least one more season. Mostly without Alualu on the field last season, the Steelers run defense put up their worse numbers in franchise history, allowing 2,483 yards on the ground to a tune of 5.0 yards per carry. In 2020, the Steelers defense allowed just 3.2 yards per carry when Alualu was on the field.
Despite Alualu being on the tail end of his career and recovering from a significant injury, the Steelers elected to not add much behind him. They did decide to bring back Montravious Adams on a one-year deal, however. Adams has a lightning quick get-off and can be an impressive penetrator into the backfield. Adams strengths are more tailored to contributing in the passing game as his motor runs hot with a unique arsenal of pass rushing moves. In limited snaps, Adams notched a 8.1% pressure rate according to Sports Info Solutions after joining the Steelers last season.
Who Wins the RB2 Job and Does it Really Matter?
When the Steelers selected Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, everyone in the building knew that he was in line for a ton of carries. The Steelers trotted Harris out there 980 total snaps on offense, 171 more than the next highest tailback while he lead the NFL in touches.
When you look around the league, the Steelers are the only team in the NFL still operating with a true one back, bell cow system. Harris had a solid rookie campaign behind an extremely shaky offensive line but over the course of the season, the wear and tear began to wear him down as his broken tackle % dropped as the season went on.
Benny Snell is the incumbent RB2 from last season, and while Snell has never proven himself to be more than a depth piece, he's also a reliable special teams contributor.
Anthony Mcfarland has rarely gotten a helmet during his two seasons in the steel city.
The Steelers added journeyman Jeremy McNichols this week which adds another veteran to the fold. The Steelers got a good look at him last season during their matchup with Tennessee as he totaled six carries for 26 yards and caught an additional three passes for 25 yards.
Undrafted free agents Mateo Durant and Jaylen Warren will both need big camps in order to crack the roster.
Finding a competent compliment to Harris should be high on the Steelers to-do list. The bigger question is will Mike Tomlin and company be willing to give Harris a break when the games begin to count?
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