Five Players to Watch at Steelers Minicamp

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are off to camp. Minicamp.

The black and gold will head back to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for their third week together, but this time, it's mandatory. That means all the veterans are (hopefully) showing up, and the team will look complete for the first time this offseason.

It's a big week for all NFL teams, but for the Steelers, there are a few guys to watch. Five of whom will bring more excitement than the rest.

Will Howard

The obvious answer, but all eyes should be on Will Howard from now until the start of the season. Is he QB2? Can he surpass Mason Rudolph? He's going to get every opportunity to do so, but it's up to him to pull it off.

Last week, Howard looked just as comfortable as he did the week before. We're all still waiting on that "oh my gosh" throw, though. Maybe it happens this week, and you better believe everyone will see it - and talk about it.

Drew Allar

Drew Allar certainly took a step forward in Week 2 of OTAs, but there is still a ton of growth left in front of him. The rookie quarterback is still moving much slower than the other three quarterbacks, and you can tell that things around him are still happening a lot quicker than a comfortable QB.

Still, a few nices passes each week and Allar will have people more and more excited. The potential is through the roof with this third-round pick, but only if the game slows down and he can process things faster. That'll be what everyone is looking for this week.

Daylen Everette

Daylen Everette is probably the Steelers' most impressive rookie through two weeks of OTAs. The cornerback out of Georgia looks a lot bigger in person, but has all the speed that he showed on tape, and the NFL Combine.

What really stands out, though, is how fluid he is at flipping his hips and running with wide receivers. Plus, his instincs to pick up on routes is impressive, especially for a rookie.

If he continues to put great play on the field during minicamp, Everette may be competing for playing time during training camp.

Germie Bernard

While Everette may be the team's most impressive rookie, Germie Bernard is their most exciting one. The wide receiver has the opportunity to claim the Steelers' WR3 spot behind DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., but needs to develop a strong relationship with Aaron Rodgers in order to do so.

Can he begin to form that bound this week? It's going to take clean route running, reliable hands and maybe a splash play or two to begin to put himself on the good side of the future Hall of Fame passer.

Jamel Dean

While the offense has seen most of the newcomers and the return of Aaron Rodgers, the defense hasn't seen much of the veterans.

Jamel Dean may be the most impactful signing the Steelers made all of offseason (outside of the quarterback), and getting to see him in action for the first time outside of one early OTAs practice is a big moment.

In person, Dean looks bigger than you'd imagine, and he carries himself on the field with a ton of confidence. It's noticable, and seeing it in action against Metcalf and Pittman Jr. this week should be fun.

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