Ranking Pittsburgh Steelers' Top 5 Sleepers to Watch in Camp

With so many training camp battles still to play out and higher-profile members of the Pittsburgh Steelers roster getting the most attention, there are certainly going to be players who fall off the radar.

But these players—sleepers, if you will—could prove to be important to the Steelers in the upcoming season. Here are five Steelers sleepers to keep an eye on once training camp commences later this month.

QB Tajh Boyd

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The time is quickly ticking down for Steelers third-string quarterback Landry Jones, and the offseason arrival of Tajh Boyd doesn't do him any favors, either. Jones is on his last legs in Pittsburgh, and a strong summertime showing by Boyd will likely earn him his walking papers.

Jones hasn't thrown a preseason touchdown since 2013 and has never been on the active, 46-man game-day roster once. In four of his six preseason appearances, he's fumbled the football. Boyd, meanwhile, threw a preseason touchdown of his own last year when with the New York Jets and is in every way the superior athlete.

While Boyd won't likely see any regular-season action with the Steelers and isn't in the running to beat out No. 2 quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, he is in line for a promotion this summer. If Boyd outplays Jones even once in the team's five preseason games, he should move up to the No. 3 spot.

DE Clifton Geathers

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A reserve defensive end is important for the Steelers this year, because the better anyone not named Cam Thomas becomes, the lesser the likelihood that Thomas plays a single snap in 2015. That's why Clifton Geathers is a sleeper to keep an eye on this summer.

Geathers, brought in last December, was re-signed this offseason at the behest of defensive line coach John Mitchell. He didn't appear in a game for the Steelers, but rather served as backup depth after Brett Keisel was placed on injured reserve.

That will be an important role for Geathers to play this year again, especially with Thomas ranking dead last among 3-4 defensive ends by Pro Football Focus last season. Geathers may never play a snap this year, but as long as he can do enough to be above Thomas on the depth chart, the Steelers will have a higher level of insurance at the position.

LB Jordan Zumwalt

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Jordan Zumwalt, a 2014 sixth-round draft pick, spent his entire rookie year on injured reserve. But he has a good shot at making the 53-man roster this year, thanks to his versatility. Zumwalt can play both inside and outside linebacker, and though he won't be cracking the starting lineup unless injuries are suffered by other players, that gives him significant value.

Chances are that Zumwalt will make most of his impact on special teams this year. But because he does have positional versatility, it's also possible he could spell any of the Steelers' starting inside or outside linebackers. 

Because we simply haven't seen much of Zumwalt in his short career, he's been flying under the radar. But that makes him a perfect sleeper for this summer. We'll have a much better idea of what he can bring to the team this season.

S Will Allen

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In a perfect world, we'd need to see practically nothing out of veteran Steelers safety Will Allen this year. After all, Mike Mitchell is coming back from two surgically repaired groin tears that should make him more effective in his second year with the team, and Shamarko Thomas has been tapped to replace the retired Troy Polamalu.

But Allen provides much-needed insurance as a backup safety. And if either Mitchell or Thomas fall injured or simply struggle on the field this year, Allen could step in for either. Thomas is mostly untested and also has an injury history, while Mitchell may have been a benefactor of the Carolina Panthers' front seven during his time with his former team.

So Allen will be a name to watch this summer, because if he outperforms Thomas or even Mitchell in training camp and the preseason, the Steelers may have to rewrite their plans. Allen's role can go from minimal to major in a short time. 

RB Dri Archer

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The Steelers are set at running back, even with Le'Veon Bell set to serve a three-game suspension to start the season. They are also at capacity at wide receiver, given their trio of veterans, Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant. They also drafted another receiver in Round 3 this year, Sammie Coates.

So it appears that 2014 Round 3 pick Dri Archer is a man without a home. But he could find a place where he fits in Pittsburgh this year as long as his summer is strong. Last year, Archer rushed only 10 times for 40 yards and caught seven passes for 23 yards. He didn't score a touchdown and was phased out of the return game after returning nine kickoffs for 161 yards.

Because the Steelers have so many big-name, highly productive players on their offense, Archer has gone mostly unheralded through much of the offseason. He may have to make due with being the team's primary kick returner this year, but he could be so much more—just as long as Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley finds new and interesting ways to use him.

Archer's role is nebulous, but it should come into greater focus this summer. But for now, just who Archer is and what he'll be doing is unknown. He's not just a sleeper—his talent, too, has been hibernating for a year. Now, it's time to wake up.