Predicting Pittsburgh Steelers' Training-Camp Standouts

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their training camp on Saturday, and practices are underway in earnest as the Steelers assemble their roster and depth chart for the 2015 season.

As with every team, some players will look better in camp than others, especially when the pads come on. Though training camp is in its early days, it's not hard to make a few predictions about who will shine in the coming weeks.

Here are five players who should stand out in the Steelers' training camp this year.

WR Martavis Bryant

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Last year, Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant made a late-season splash. The rookie, activated in Week 7 to the game-day roster, caught 26 passes for 549 yards and eight scores and averaged 21.1 yards per catch.

Now that he's had a year of experience under his belt, he—as Bleacher Report's Cian Fahey writes—has the potential to become a true star in 2015. ESPN.com's Pat McManamon pegs Bryant as the AFC North's rising star, writing, "With Antonio Brown on the field, Bryant will see plenty of single coverage. He has a quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger who will find him. There will be opportunity, and Bryant should take advantage."

Bryant was a standout on Sunday in the eyes of the NFL Network's Albert Breer, who said, "[The] Steelers have big plans for him, if he can keep it going in the right direction."

Watching that development should be something worth keeping an eye on in training camp this year. If Bryant could be so productive with limited playing time as a rookie, he should be a standout not just on the practice field but also during the regular season.

LB Bud Dupree

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The Steelers' 2015 Round 1 draft pick, outside linebacker Bud Dupree, has been a quick study during the offseason. He has continued to study and master his playbook, and for his efforts he has worked with both the first- and second-team defenses during OTAs and minicamp, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

To open training camp, Dupree was with the second team, joined by fellow outside linebacker Howard Jones (who was playing in place of James Harrison), according to Steelers Depot's Alex Kozora. But, regardless of where he's lining up this summer, he'll be a player to watch.

The Steelers brought Dupree in to improve a pass rush that totaled 33 sacks last year. And given that Dupree is getting ever increasingly more comfortable with his playbook and in practices, he looks to be one of the Steelers' best training-camp performers.

RB Le'Veon Bell

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Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell said on Saturday that his right knee, which he injured in Week 16 of last season, is not yet 100 percent, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette. However, Bell said, "When I'm running I don't really feel it as much. Sometimes when I'm stretching, I feel it. It doesn't feel like my left knee does. It's close to 100 percent. I'm excited to get back on the field and test it out."

Bell is not on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and is participating in training camp. And though he—and the Steelers—may take it somewhat slowly in camp's early days, there's no doubt that once he's at full speed, he'll be one of the team's standouts.

Bell can run, he can catch and he can block, and he'll be doing all three all summer long in preparation for the 2015 season, despite the fact that Bell is facing a three-game suspension to start the year. And even though his knee isn't quite where he wants it yet, he said to the Steelers' official website that, "This is easily the best I have ever felt. I am in the best condition I have ever been in my life so I am excited."

Players of Bell's talent cannot be ignored on the practice field. There's no doubt that Bell will outwork most of the other players on the Steelers' roster in camp this year. 

OT Alejandro Villanueva

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Head coach Mike Tomlin announced that five Steelers players will open training camp on the PUP list, and among them is backup offensive tackle Mike Adams, who underwent a back procedure earlier this month and looks to miss most, if not all, of the Steelers' camp.

That means Alejandro Villanueva will be working with the second-team offense during Adams' absence, a move that could potentially push Villanueva up the depth chart. And so far, he's making an on-field impact. Steelers Depot's Alex Kozora reported that Villanueva "buried Howard Jones into the Earth," in Sunday's practice, a good start for Villanueva's attempt to stick on the Steelers' roster this year.

Villanueva has a lot to prove as well as the rare opportunity to prove it. That gives him the potential to be a Steelers training-camp standout this year.

WR Antonio Brown

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It's a no-brainer to include wide receiver Antonio Brown on a list of Steelers' training-camp standouts. He is a singular talent in the NFL and may be the very best player on the Steelers' roster. 

Brown is currently on a 32-game streak of at least five catches and 50 yards, and earlier this summer, he unofficially broke a world record by catching a football dropped from 360 feet in the air. And even after accomplishing all of that, Brown is not resting on his laurels or taking the summer off as he works to become an even better player.

Upon arriving at camp, Brown said (via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Chris Adamski), "What I'm here to do today is show how hard I've been working, showcase that I can still be the best in the world." And he's already making plays. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted on Sunday that he's already caught at least one "beautiful" 20-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger.

Brown practices as hard and as well as he plays. As long as he's on the Steelers roster, he will be a standout player in training camp every year.