Steelers Face Tough Decisions Along Defensive Line

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have entered their first game week of the 2023 season. With a trip down to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers in the preseason opener inching closer, roster battles are coming into focus.

In few places on the Steelers' 90-man roster is the position group deeper and the competition more intense than along the defensive line, where there has been an abundance of standouts during training camp.

"Feel really good about NFL-capable guys at that position," head coach Mike Tomlin said. "The competition is going to be stiff, and particularly how things play out in stadium, it's going to be a major component of it. ... So we're working."

The locks are few and far between. Cameron Heyward is a Steeler for as long as he'd like to be and Larry Ogunjobi, who resigned with the Steelers for three years and $28.75 million this offseason, will be featured alongside him as starters as they were on the first depth chart of the season.

Outside of that pairing, the Steelers entered 2023 training camp with a host of players still searching for a place on this defense. Montravious Adams, Armon Watts, Breiden Fohoko, Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal and Keeanu Benton are all contenders for an indefinite number of roster spots and all have been impressive at different points throughout camp.

Adams has been outstanding as of late, making impact plays like his rep in full pads during 11-on-11 snaps this week, when he pushed Nate Herbig straight back into Mitch Trubisky. Watts has done the same across first, second and third team reps. After starting slow, Benton has begun to show life and consistency, and Leal's athleticism has translated to plays on the field. Meanwhile, veterans Loudermilk and Fehoko have only gotten stronger as camp rolls on.

Leal and Benton have youth and talent. Loudermilk and Adams have knowledge of the system. And Fehoko and Watts have experience. Different players have different advantages in this competition and the name of the game is capitalizing on their strengths.

“I look at it as you just got to do what the coaches ask. Try not to be somebody you’re not," Watts said. "But just hone into the little things and let those things pop out on tape.”

The path to a roster spot is easier said than done, but there is a golden opportunity to separate oneself coming up. One of those in-stadium opportunities Tomlin referenced arrives this weekend.

“The way to stand out is always to make plays," Loudermilk said. "These preseason games coming up will definitely highlight that because you can’t hide in a preseason game. You make plays or you don’t.”

The difficult part for some of these interior linemen is that their best plays will be made quietly. The desire to make plays and stand out has to be balanced with the fact that playing on the interior of the defensive line is decidedly not glamorous.

"It’s one of those things where you can’t be too flashy because if you’re too flashy, that usually means the running back’s probably running through the defense," Fohoko said.

To that end, no one in the room is putting extra pressure on themselves to perform in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay. They want to let the plays come to them, treat it like another football game and hope their best is good enough in the eyes of the Steelers.

"It's an opportunity to go out there and get better and show off my strengths and my skill set and put them on tape not just for the people here in Pittsburgh to see, but 31 other teams," Fehoko said. "So that's what you do, you go out and audition, put on a show and you make people happy when you do your job."

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