By: John Walker, @realjohnwalker
SteelerNation.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers will kick off their 2020 campaign in just about a month. Without many off-season programs and the preseason, it can be tough for fringe players to push for a spot on the 53-man roster. So with a little time before the deadline, I’m going to take a shot at what I think the Steelers roster is going to look like following the required cuts that get the team to 53 players.
Quarterbacks (3)
- Ben Roethlisberger
- Mason Rudolph
- Devlin Hodges
Roethlisberger is back and Rudolph is locked in as his backup. The last spot comes down to Hodges and Paxton Lynch. This was a true coin flip for me that I can see going either way, but I think the absence of preseason will help Hodges’ case. The staff has praised Lynch but in such a strange off-season, the coaching staff may put more value in familiarity.
Running Backs (4)
- James Conner
- Benny Snell Jr.
- Anthony McFarland Jr.
- Wendell Smallwood
Conner, Snell, and McFarland are all roster locks. It feels Smallwood holds the advantage over Jaylen Samuels for the final spot. Although just signed a few weeks ago, he would be the veteran of a very young RB room and his experience would be welcomed. He also brings pass catching ability. It wouldn’t surprise me however if the Steelers found a trade partner and moved Samuels in that fashion instead of cutting him. I also hate leaving Kerrith Whyte Jr. off of this list. He flashed in limited opportunities last season, he’s just the victim of a crowded depth chart.
Fullback (1)
- Derek Watt
No brainer here. Watt was paid handsomely by the Steelers this off-season. He has no competition for his spot and will also thrive on the special teams unit.
Wide Receivers (6)
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Diontae Johnson
- James Washington
- Chase Claypool
- Ryan Switzer
- Deon Cain
The top four guys from this list are all locked in. There’s no real shuffle at the bottom either however. Switzer is staying. I believe in him more than most people do and feel with Roethlisberger back that he can be an effective chain mover. Assuming the Steelers carry 6 wide outs, Cain was easy to put on this list for me. He made some great contested catches last season in a limited role and I think the team will enjoy having that option on the sidelines.
Tight Ends (3)
- Vance McDonald
- Eric Ebron
- Zach Gentry
Another group that’s pretty much set in stone. It remains to be seen how McDonald and Ebron will be used, but both will have key roles. Gentry doesn’t have any competition for the third and final spot on the depth chart other than the likes of Dax Raymond.
Offensive Line (8)
- Maurkice Pouncey
- David DeCastro
- Alejandro Villanueva
- Matt Feiler
- Chukwuma Okorafor
- Stefen Wisniewski
- Kevin Dotson
- Zach Banner
Two new faces and some shuffling in this group. Ramon Foster and BJ Finney are gone, insert the valuable veteran Wisniewski and the rookie Dotson. Pouncey, DeCastro, Villanueva are all locked in as starters for their positions. With Feiler seemingly sliding inside to left guard, Banner and Okorafor will compete for the starting right tackle slot. Both are making the team, but advantage Okorafor.
Defensive Line (6)
- Cam Heyward
- Stephon Tuitt
- Tyson Alualu
- Isaiah Buggs
- Chris Wormley
- Dan McCullers
Pretty solidified. One of the best interior defensive lineman in the league, All-Pro Heyward is obviously a lock and the key cog of this unit. Tuitt is back healthy, and Alualu and Buggs both will be valuable rotational pieces. Wormley was acquired via a rare in-divisional trade with rival Baltimore and McCullers is one of the longest tenured players on this roster. I don’t think rookie Carlos Davis beats him out so that won’t change for Big Dan this season. With Javon Hargrave gone, there’s a clear path for playing time for the both of them.
Outside Linebackers (5)
- TJ Watt
- Bud Dupree
- Alex Highsmith
- Ola Adeniyi
- Tuzar Skipper
All-Pro Watt and Dupree don’t come off the field often, so rookie Highsmith may not get much of a chance to contribute on defense barring injury. He’ll play special teams, though. Adeniyi will probably be the first option to rotate in on defense when someone needs a breather. I believe Skipper sticks, where he will make majority of his contributions on special teams.
Inside Linebackers (4)
- Devin Bush
- Vince Williams
- Ulysees Gilbert III
- Robert Spillane
Depth here is minimal. Williams is the vet of this group by a wide margin, and Bush is the star in the making. Those guys both have important roles on this defense and are locked in as starters. I’m high on Gilbert, and think he’ll rotate in this year and contribute on defense with Mark Barron gone. Spillane should have his roster spot secured based on how valuable he is on special teams. With Tyler Matakevich gone as well, Spillane should slot right into his role.
Cornerbacks (5)
- Joe Haden
- Steve Nelson
- Mike Hilton
- Cam Sutton
- Justin Layne
No changes here. Haden and Nelson were one the best duos in the league last season. Perhaps the most interesting position battle of camp is for that #3 slot. Hilton and Sutton are both very good and are capable of handling expanded roles on defense. It’ll be interesting to see those two guys compete all season. Layne was a special teams guy exclusively last year, and barring injury that’ll remain his role. With the depth in front of him, that’s just fine as he continues his development as a cornerback.
Safeties (5)
- Minkah Fitzpatrick
- Terrell Edmunds
- Jordan Dangerfield
- Antoine Brooks Jr.
- Curtis Riley
All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the best in the business and is the star here. Edmunds is a lock to start opposite of him. The depth behind those two are questionable. Dangerfield has been a constant on Pittsburgh’s roster since 2014 and that’s not going to change this year. He makes most of his impact on special teams, and this season he may become the leader of that unit. Rookie Brooks is also safe. I’ll pencil Riley in for right now, but I would not be surprised if the Steelers look to add someone else before the start of the season. He’s not a lock.
Specialists (3)
- Kicker - Chris Boswell
- Punter - Jordan Berry
- Long Snapper - Kameron Canaday
No changes from this group. Boswell bounced back in a big way last season and is locked in along with Canaday. The staff is familiar with Berry, and the lack of preseason activities complicates the process of trying to find anyone that can possibly beat him out. He’s not bad, so they can survive with Berry.
Well #SteelerNation, that’s how I think the roster will currently shake down. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feel free to share your roster predictions as well!
