Pittsburgh Steelers: Rookie Progress Report Card Through 3 Games

Although the Pittsburgh Steelers have only played three games so far this year, a quarter of the season is gone, and thus it is a good time to grade the rookies on the team.

There are currently 10 rookies on the Steelers' roster, and although there hasn’t been a huge contribution from them, we can still grade their season so far.

I graded them from a simple A-D format and look to see what kind of future each player has for the Steelers.

David DeCastro RG

First-Round Pick

Season Grade: Incomplete

David DeCastro has not played a down this season since injuring his knee in the preseason and is currently on Injured Reserve and eligible to come back after the first eight weeks.

DeCastro was not necessarily dominating in camp or the preseason. However, he was still an upgrade on the offensive line and slated to be the starter at RG.

When DeCastro is eligible to come back from his injury, he will take back his spot on the line and improve the offensive line for years to come.

Mike Adams OT

Second-Round Pick

Season Grade: B

At one point this offseason, it looked like Mike Adams would be the Steelers’ starting LT going into the season until the team re-signed Max Starks.

Now that Adams is a swing tackle, however, he did not look that bad against the Denver Broncos in Week 1 when Marcus Gilbert was injured.

I believe Adams is the LT of the future for the Steelers and the signing of Starks allows the team to not rush him on the field.

Sean Spence LB

Third-Round Pick

Season Grade: Incomplete

Sean Spence was another rookie who had high expectations for this season as a backup linebacker and special teams player.

Unfortunately for the Steelers, Spence tore up his knee in the last preseason game and will miss the entire year.

As long as Spence makes a full recovery, he will push for the starting linebacker spot next year and at worst add good depth to the position.

Alameda Ta'amu NT

Fourth-Round Pick

Season Grade: C

Although Alameda Ta’amu is looked at as the future at the NT position along with Steve McLendon, he probably is not going to play much this season.

Neither Ta’amu nor McLendon has played much backing up veteran Casey Hampton, and I wouldn’t expect to see Alameda much all year.

Ta’amu was actually my favorite NT prospect in the draft this year, and a year of development will go a long way in preparing him for a larger role going forward.

Chris Rainey RB

Fifth-Round Pick

Season Grade: C

During the preseason, Chris Rainey displayed the speed and playmaking ability that made the Steelers take him in the draft.

To this point in the regular season, Rainey has only 42 combined yards, with his longest play being a 14-yard reception.

I blame Rainey’s ineffectiveness on the play-calling of Todd Haley, and I believe the rookie will make more of an impact as the season goes along.

David Paulson TE

Seventh-Round Pick

Season Grade: D

David Paulson parlayed a strong offseason into a roster spot on the Steelers. However, he may not be there for long.

Paulson is a strong candidate to be released when Weslye Saunders comes off his suspension after this week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Personally I’d rather keep Paulson than Leonard Pope, but I don’t see that happening. Hopefully the Steelers can sneak Paulson onto the practice squad.

Kelvin Beachum OT

Seventh-Round Pick

Season Grade: D

Kelvin Beachum may not be a finished product at this point, but I think he has a good future with the Steelers.

The coaching staff seems to like him a lot, and he has already gotten some game action this year despite his lack of experience.

He hasn’t been great by any stretch of the imagination this season. However, at worst he becomes a guy who can play both guard and tackle if the Steelers need it in the future.

Drew Butler P

Undrafted Free Agent

Season Grade: A

Drew Butler benefited from Jeremy Kapinos being injured this offseason, but he had done a very good job as the Steelers’ starting punter.

Butler has an average of about 42 yards per punt and already has five punts downed inside the 20-yard line on the season.

Punters stay in the league forever, so who knows? Butler could be with the Steelers for years to come if he continues to just be solid.

Robert Golden S

Undrafted Free Agent

Season Grade: C

Robert Golden was another guy in the preseason to flash his potential and has yet to see the field during the regular season.

The Steelers normally like to sit their young guys, especially on defense, but I’d like to see Golden on the field rather than Will (somehow still on the team) Allen.

Honestly, at this point I’d just like to see if Golden could make some plays for the Steelers defense because Ryan Mundy certainly isn’t.

Adrian Robinson LB

Undrafted Free Agent

Season Grade: C

Adrian Robinson earned his way onto the roster with his play and would have been a factor on defense if Jason Worilds did not come back from his injury sooner than expected.

With as bad as the Steelers pass rush has been through three games, I don’t see the harm in bringing Robinson into the game in obvious passing situations and letting him just rush the passer.

Once James Harrison comes back from his injury, Robinson will be even further buried down the depth chart, and he probably will not play at all this season.