On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced their initial 53-man roster, which includes 24 offensive players, 26 defensive players and three specialists.
In doing so, the team also settled several camp competitions. Most notably, Beanie Bishop, an undrafted rookie from West Virginia, edged out Thomas Graham Jr. for a roster spot and the starting job at slot cornerback until Cameron Sutton returns from suspension.
In a thin receivers room, both Dez Fitzpatrick and Quez Watkins were cut, leaving the Steelers with just five players at that position. Fitzpatrick’s strong camp helped him make a push. However, the Steelers ultimately decided to go a different direction.
On the defensive line, veterans Dean Lowry and Isaiahh Loudermilk, along with rookie Logan Lee, made the team. And on the offensive line, Ryan McCollum took advantage of Nate Herbig’s injury to make the 53.
Now, one thing to keep in mind is that this is just the initial 53-man roster. You can expect it to change over the coming days and weeks as the Steelers scour available upgrades, especially on the defensive line, at receiver and possibly at defensive back.
Let’s dive into each position group.
*Asterisks denote rookies
The Steelers announced the following cuts/ roster moves pic.twitter.com/jj3ko7oupV
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) August 27, 2024
Offense (24)
Quarterback (3): Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen
Cut: John Rhys Plumlee*
The John Rhys Plumlee experiment was fun while it lasted. The dual-threat QB did everything in his power to make the team, including taking snaps at receiver and as a returner. However, the Steelers opted to go with Allen’s experience over Plumlee’s versatility. If he clears waivers, Plumlee would be a nice Swiss Army knife to use on the practice squad.
Running back (3): Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Cordarrelle Patterson
Cut: La’Mical Perine, Jonathan Ward, Aaron Shampklin, Daijun Edwards*
Even with Warren nursing a hamstring injury, this position group has been fairly obvious throughout camp. While Patterson will line up at various positions on offense, he has enough versatility to be the third running back, even with questions about Warren’s health lingering. Patterson’s touchdown run on Saturday began to show one of the numerous ways he’ll be utilized this year.
Wide receiver (5): George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson*, Scotty Miller
Cut: Quez Watkins, Dez Fitzpatrick, Jaray Jenkins, Duece Watts, Jacob Copeland, T.J. Luther
Wide receiver is, arguably, the Steelers’ thinnest position group. That was reflected at the final cutdown when the Steelers chose to keep just five, one fewer than usual. Watkins is the biggest name to lose his job, but that was probably to be expected after his inconsistent hands proved costly in the preseason.
The biggest surprise of this group is probably Fitzpatrick, whose strong preseason helped him make a push for a spot on the 53. However, the Steelers ultimately decided he didn’t make the cut. If they add from another team, this would be an obvious area to address.
Tight end (4): Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, MyCole Pruitt
Cut: Rodney Williams, Matt Sokol
The Steelers kept just three tight ends last year. But because new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith highlights that position group often, it was necessary to have four on the roster this season. Williams has been on the practice squad the last couple of seasons and would be a nice piece to have on the practice squad again if he clears waivers.
Fullback (0)
Cut: Jack Colletto
Even though Smith’s offense routinely features a fullback (about 30 percent of snaps last year in Atlanta), the Steelers must feel comfortable with what Connor Heyward can do in that role. Smith suggested the Steelers might have a fullback up on game days sometimes, so look for Colletto to land on the practice squad if he’s not scooped up by another team. Perhaps this isn’t the last we’ve heard from him.
Offensive line (9): Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier*, James Daniels, Dan Moore Jr., Troy Fautanu*, Mason McCormick*, Spencer Anderson, Ryan McCollum
Cut: Joey Fisher, TyKeem Doss, Tyler Beach, Devery Hamilton, Anderson Hardy
Other: Dylan Cook (injured reserve, designated for return)
Injuries created opportunities for several linemen. When Nate Herbig went down with a season-ending shoulder injury, it created the opening necessary for McCollum to earn a roster spot. Meanwhile, Cook’s injury buys the Steelers some time, as they can place him on injured reserve for the time being. Now, there are some veteran linemen who just got cut, so this is a position group that could still be in flux, especially at backup center.
GO DEEPER
Steelers roster bubble: 18 players with the most to prove in the preseason finale
Defense (26)
Outside linebacker (3): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig
Cut: Kyron Johnson, Jacoby Windmon
Other: Jeremiah Moon (IR, designated for return), Julius Welschof (season-ending IR)
Watt and Highsmith give the Steelers one of the league’s best one-two punches at outside linebacker, and Nick Herbig’s continued development should give the team confidence the production won’t drop off a cliff when the top two rushers need a rest.
The most noteworthy player in this group is actually one that the Steelers didn’t even list as a linebacker when they announced the initial 53: DeMarvin Leal. While he’s still listed as a lineman, Leal slimmed down enough to provide versatility along the defensive line and also on the edge. He can play outside linebacker in a pinch, which is a creative way to save a roster spot.
Defensive line (8): Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Montravius Adams, Logan Lee*, Dean Lowry, DeMarvin Leal
Cut: Jacob Slade, Marquiss Spencer, Willington Previlon
Lowry and Lee were the two players on the bubble worth watching. As it turned out, the Steelers chose to keep the veteran and the rookie. Some thought Loudermilk could be a surprise cut, but he is also on the initial 53. Other than receiver, this is probably the Steelers’ thinnest position group. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the organization target a defensive lineman (or two) who was cut from another team.
Inside linebacker (5): Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, Payton Wilson*, Tyler Matakevich, Mark Robinson
Cut: Luquay Washington*, Kyahva Tezino
Other: Cole Holcomb (PUP)
The Steelers are likely to deploy a similar three-man rotation to the one they utilized the last couple of seasons, with Queen functioning as the all-purpose linebacker, Roberts the run-down inside linebacker in the base defense and Wilson the mobile, sub package cover man.
But the intrigue came in the back half of this position group. The new kickoff rules made Matakevich’s special teams work more valuable, and evidently, the Steelers aren’t ready to give up on Robinson, who has flashed in preseasons but has been unable to put it all together enough to earn regular snaps.
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Cornerback (5): Joey Porter Jr. Donte Jackson, Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, Beanie Bishop*
Cut: Thomas Graham Jr., Kiondre Thomas, Zyon Gilbert
Other: Cameron Sutton (suspended)
The nickel corner competition was one of the most fluid of all camp battles. Even after Bishop missed the second preseason game and an entire week of practice, he beat out Graham for the job. That’s not necessarily a surprise after the way assistant GM Andy Weidl praised the WVU product, calling him a “Steeler type” of player. If Bishop struggles or is not up to speed early, the Steelers can utilize their big nickel defense with three safeties as a way to work around this roster question. This way, they can bet on Bishop’s upside, even if his on-field reps were limited.
Safety (5): Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Damontae Kazee, Miles Killebrew, Jalen Elliott
Cut: Kyler McMichael
Other: Ryan Watts* (season-ending IR)
Jalen Elliott might be the biggest surprise on the entire roster. However, after Watts went down with a season-ending injury in the closing minutes of Saturday’s preseason game in Detroit, it opened a door for Elliott to make the team. He’s another player whose position could be in flux with several veteran safeties with nickel experience on the open market.
Specialists (3)
Kicker: Chris Boswell
Punter: Cameron Johnston
Long snapper: Christian Kuntz
Cut: K Matthew Wright
(Photo of Beanie Bishop: Rick Osentoski / Associated Press)
