Steelers Depth Chart Leaving OTAs: Several Battles Undecided

Here's where the Pittsburgh Steelers' depth chart may stand now that OTAs are in the rearview mirror.

Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) participates in drills during Minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As OTAs come to an end, the outlook on the Pittsburgh Steelers' depth chart has come more into focus.

While a majority of the clarity on that end will come once training camp and the preseason arrive later this summer, the offseason program has still shifted some things around for the Steelers.

With that, here is our depth chart prediction now that OTAs have concluded.

Offense

Position	No. 1	No. 2	No. 3
QB	Aaron Rodgers	Will Howard/Mason Rudolph	Drew Allar
RB	Jaylen Warren/Rico Dowdle	Kaleb Johnson/Eli Heidenreich	Travis Homer
WR	DK Metcalf	Roman Wilson	A.T. Perry
WR	Michael Pittman Jr.	Ben Skowronek	Cole Burgess
WR	Germie Bernard	Kaden Wetjen	Max Hurleman
TE	Pat Freiermuth	Darnell Washington	Robert Tonyan
FB	Riley Nowakowski
LT	Troy Fautanu	Jack Driscoll	Lorenzo Thompson
LG	Mason McCormick	Gennings Dunker	Steven Jones
C	Zach Frazier	Ryan McCollum	Greg Crippen
RG	Spencer Anderson	Brock Hoffman	Doug Nester
RT	Dylan Cook/Broderick Jones (injured)	Max Iheanachor

Pittsburgh's offense has several position battles worth monitoring moving forward.

Will Howard and Mason Rudolph's fight for the backup quarterback job behind Rodgers is the one naturally seemingly grabbing most of the attention.

Ultimately, it'll come down to how strong Howard performs in training camp and the preseason, as well as whether or not the Steelers value having a veteran No. 2 option in Rudolph on the roster who has proven throughout his career that he can step in for short periods of time and suitably run an offense.

At running back, Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle seem ticketed for a relatively even split of touches. Behind them, though, Kaleb Johnson has to show that he's put his disappointing rookie campaign behind him or else he may be on the chopping block.

Eli Heidenreich has stated that he's most comfortable in the backfield, so perhaps Pittsburgh could carry him as the third option at the position while also handing him some snaps at receiver, or Travis Homer could make the roster instead as a special teams ace.

Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Eli Heidenreich (29) participates in drills during Minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The snap counts of Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington should closely mirror one another, much like they did in 2025 at 522 and 546, respectively. There's likely a good amount of 12-personnel coming the Steelers' way in Mike McCarthy's offense, and the team can get creative in how it deploys both tight ends while Riley Nowakowski gets into the mix as a fullback.

DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. are locked in as the starters on the outside at wide receiver, leaving Germie Bernard and Roman Wilson to fight it out in the slot.

While Wilson has, by all accounts, shined over the past few weeks, it's hard to imagine Bernard, a second-round pick, playing second fiddle to him even as a rookie.

Ben Skowronek and Kaden Wetjen will garner limited snaps on offense while focusing their attention on special teams, and the likes of A.T. Perry, Max Hurleman and Cole Burgess are all rather extreme long-shots to make the roster.

The Steelers are all set on the left side of the offensive line and at center, but there are some questions on the right side.

Spencer Anderson is the favorite to win the right guard job, though Brock Hoffman or even Gennings Dunker can't be completely discounted. At right tackle, Dylan Cook is in the driver's seat while Max Iheanachor, the team's first-round pick, is given the proper time to develop.

Jones could theoretically challenge Cook, but he's likely to be placed on the PUP list as he continues to recover from a neck injury he suffered last season.

Defense

Position	No. 1	No. 2	No. 3
DL	Cam Heyward	Sebastian Joseph-Day	Dean Lowry
NT	Keeanu Benton	Yahya Black	Gabriel Rubio
DL	Derrick Harmon	Esezi Otomewo	Logan Lee
EDGE	T.J. Watt	Jack Sawyer	KJ Henry/Jamin Davis
ILB	Patrick Queen	Malik Harrison	Carson Bruener
ILB	Payton Wilson	Cole Holcomb	Daylan Carnell
EDGE	Alex Highsmith	Nick Herbig	Julius Welschof
CB	Joey Porter Jr.	Asante Samuel Jr.	Doneiko Slaughter/Tamon Lynum
NB	Jalen Ramsey	Brandin Echols	Donte Kent
CB	Jamel Dean	Daylen Everette	D'Shawn Jamison
SS	DeShon Elliott	Robert Spears-Jennings/Sebastian Castro	Jack Henderson
FS	Jaquan Brisker	Darnell Savage	Devan Boykin

Though Keeanu Benton, who is in line for an extension, is going to move around the defensive line more often in Patrick Graham's scheme, nose tackle is still viewed as his primary position.

Cam Heyward and Derrick Harmon will start opposite Benton while Sebastian Joseph-Day and Yahya Black are guarantees to make the roster as rotational depth pieces along the interior of the defensive line. That would leave one or two spots up for grabs between Esezi Otomewo, Logan Lee, Dean Lowry and Gabriel Rubio.

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig make up what's arguably the league's best group of EDGE rushers, and Jack Sawyer is a solid fourth option.

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) gestures against the Houston Texans during the first quarter in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson are primed to start for a third-consecutive campaign next to one another at inside linebacker. Malik Harrison (if he's not cut) and Cole Holcomb profile as the top reserves while Carson Bruener is more of a special teams contributor.

Joey Porter Jr., who much like Benton is primed for a new deal after Herbig and Washington signed theirs, makes up a strong duo with Jamel Dean at boundary corner.

Though Jalen Ramsey will move around the defense a bit and play some safety in certain packages, he'll mostly be stationed in the slot. Daylen Everette and Brandin Echols could both see some time there as well as on the outside, where Asante Samuel Jr. is another backup option for Pittsburgh.

Brisker and Elliott are the starters at safety, and Darnell Savage will almost certainly make the roster in a reserve role, but Robert Spears-Jennings and Sebastian Castro may end up duking it out for the final spot at the position.

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