Steelers Who Need Strong Preseason Finish to Make 53-Man Roster
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a few roster spots still up for grabs heading into their preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Saturday.
Wide receiver and tight end will be two of the positions under close criticism because of how open the competition at both spots has been.
The Steelers whiffed on their Brandon Aiyuk pursuit, so they need to find the best complements to George Pickens across the wide receiver corps.
Pat Freiermuth is the clear No. 1 tight end, but there are options beneath him on the depth chart, especially in an Arthur Smith offense that could use multiple tight ends more than last season.
There's also some competition on the defensive line, where the final spot at the position could go to a few players.
Quez Watkins
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Quez Watkins could go from the No. 3 wide receiver on the Philadelphia Eagles roster to cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers in training camp.
Watkins should have a chance to prove his case on Saturday, but he may have to do that with Kyle Allen at quarterback. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, if they play, could be off the field by the time Watkins needs to impress.
The Steelers have Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III directly behind George Pickens on the wide receiver depth chart.
Rookie Roman Wilson will make the team as the No. 4 pass-catcher, so that leaves Watkins in competition with Dez Fitzpatrick for the No. 5 spot.
Fitzpatrick has the edge on special teams, but if Watkins shows enough in the pass game on Saturday, he may have a fighting chance to make the initial 53-man roster.
MyCole Pruitt
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MyCole Pruitt holds a built-in advantage at tight end because he's played in Arthur Smith's offense before in Tennessee and Atlanta.
The familiarity with the offensive scheme might save Pruitt a spot on the 53-man roster, but he needs to show off how strong he is inside the offense on Saturday.
The Steelers are not giving up on second-year player Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward will make the roster as a fullback-tight end hybrid.
It could be difficult for the Steelers to justify carrying four tight ends, especially when the fourth player possesses similar qualities to other players further up the depth chart.
Washington should be the red-zone pass-catcher and Heyward is the short-yardage blocker.
Unless Pruitt can be better at one of those skills, he may not have a roster spot to begin with.
DeMarvin Leal
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The defensive line battle could go a few ways during roster cuts.
DeMarvin Leal is on the fringe of the 53-man roster along with Isaiahh Loudermilk.
Leal, the Steelers' third-round pick in 2022, has one sack and three tackles in preseason.
He needs to get after the quarterback against Detroit to prove he can be a valuable depth piece behind Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi.
The final roster spot could come down to Leal and Loudermilk, and that decision might be the toughest one Mike Tomlin and his staff have to make.
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