Pittsburgh Steelers: 6 Players Stock on the Rise/Fall After First Preseason Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't exactly have a good night out in Washington for their first preseason game.

The starters couldn't connect on offense while the defense looked disinterested.

The backups that came in hoping to compete for a roster spot for the most part didn't help themselves but there were a few potential diamonds in the rough.

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Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown led the team with 64 yards on four receptions.

Brown was impressive in how naturally he brought the ball in and never looked to be fazed by the prospect of lining up across from starting cornerbacks. Josh Wilson and DeAngelo Williams were covering him for the most of the night as Brown started and played for the second string, but neither could handle his speed and quickness.

His route running looked good as he was repeatedly escaping his defenders rather than simply outpacing them.

Brown could have had an even bigger stat line if Byron Leftwich had not overthrown him in the first half after speeding away from DeAngelo Hall down the sideline. Brown would likely have gone the distance with an accurate pass.

Every Steelers fan knows that Brown has talent, but it's never a guarantee when someone moves from fourth-choice receiver to starter as he ends up facing better cover corners. Brown showed last night that he can compete with proven players in this league.

Stock: RISING

Daniel Sepulveda

For Sepulveda, simply getting through this game would have been a positive after suffering a second ACL injury during last season.

Sepulveda came through the game without any noticeable issues while putting on a fantastic punting performance.

He only averaged 46.3 yards per punt but had three downed inside the 20, including one on the 1-yard line, as well as a long of 62.

Stock: RISING.

Chris Scott

It was exciting to see No. 61 on the field at the start of the game, and Chris Scott appeared to have the upperhand over his former college teammate Ramon Foster at right guard.

However by the time he took his place on the bench, Foster had been all but guaranteed the starting guard spot.

Curiously, Foster didn't start at left tackle as Doug Legursky took that spot, but he enter on the second series.

Chris Scott was beaten repeatedly on the opening drive and looked to be over-matched physically. It's obvious that Scott is better suited to play tackle until he bulks up, because he couldn't handle Stephen Bowen last night.

Foster was, just as he has been through his career, reliable if unspectacular in carrying out his role.

Stock: FALLING

Crezdon Butler

Butler shot to prominence with his performances in the preseason last year, but he hasn't gotten off to a good start this year.

The Redskins left their starting receivers in the game for an extended time, which gave Butler a chance to show he can match up to a starter such as Jabarr Gaffney. Unfortunately for Butler, he couldn't seize the opportunity.

Butler looked slow and confused as he was repeatedly beaten with mid-range passes as well as losing his man deep once or twice.

I've been saying for a while that Butler is better suited to be playing safety, and his struggles on the island with a starting caliber receiver last night only reinforced that belief. Butler simply doesn't look comfortable in vast amounts of space.

Stock: FALLING

Jason Woriilds

I had high hopes for Jason Worilds last night. Those hopes were heightened even further when I saw that he was going to be starting for James Harrison.

Worilds unfortunately couldn't do much with the starting group. That largely wasn't his fault as the veterans looked disinterested until Mike Tomlin had a talk with them during the timeout. By that time the Redskins had driven from their 1-yard line to the Steelers red zone.

Worilds couldn't do much without help from his defensive linemen, but he struggled with the second group as well.

He never made an impact on the game and didn't look strong against the run. He didn't recognize play-action passes on a few occasions, leading to completions going right over his head as opposed to dropping into coverage or pressuring the quarterback.

Worilds has plenty of talent, but solely based on that performance, his stock is certainly falling.

Stock: FALLING

Cameron Heyward

The Steelers' first-round pick from this year still has a long way to go before being able to realistically expect playing time in the regular season, but he helped his case last night.

Heyward played predominantly in the second half against Washington's second-teamers and looked like a man amongst boys.

While the Redskins destroyed RaShon Harris in the running game, they quickly learned not to even try to run on Heyward. Heyward was fighting double teams and holding the point consistently.

He showed good awareness against the Redskins' play-action that were repeatedly runs. Heyward looks like he could do with adding further bulk but it's easy to see why the Steelers like him.

Stock: RISING

Serial tweeting about NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, Soccer and Rugby   @Cianaf

I also write for Irish Central and Fantasy Football Life.