Pittsburgh Steelers' Depth-Chart Predictions Ahead of Training Camp

With training camp rapidly approaching, the pecking order for the Pittsburgh Steelers is subject to change at almost every position. While some first-team players are not going to see their statuses change, others will climb and others will drop as practices and preseason games unfold; these moves will help shape what the Steelers' 53-man roster looks like prior to the start of the regular season.

But until that happens, it's best to take stock. Let's look at each position group and break down the depth chart as it stands now. Who are the first-teamers? Who are the backups? And who is in the shuffle, fighting for a spot on the roster? Read on and find out.

Quarterback

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1st: Ben Roethlisberger

2nd: Landry Jones

3+: Joshua Dobbs, Bart Houston

Despite a brief offseason retirement scare, the Steelers' longtime starting quarterback will reprise his role as the team's franchise player in 2017. Nothing and no one will unseat Ben Roethlisberger, and should he miss any length of time, whether this summer or during the regular season, no "quarterback controversy" talk will swirl around the Steelers. Roethlisberger is the starter as long as he chooses football to be his job.

The question, though, is whether Landry Jones will be able to hold onto the job as Roethlisberger's primary backup through the summer. 

Jones, who has been with the Steelers since 2013, has a good understanding of offensive coordinator Todd Haley's system but has also been rather underwhelming when asked to run it. Thus, the door could be open for rookie Joshua Dobbs to jump up to the No. 2 spot should he impress both in training camp and the preseason. This will be something to watch for over the course of the late summer, though for now, it's impossible to put the inexperienced Dobbs ahead of Jones.

What is known, though, is that Bart Houston, the undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin, won't be in the running for that backup job this summer. At worst, he's simply a camp arm and won't be with the Steelers once September approaches. At best, he can spend his year on the practice squad. But with Roethlisberger, Jones and Dobbs all present, it would be a surprise if the Steelers carve out any room for a fourth quarterback.

Running Back

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1st: Le'Veon Bell

2nd: James Conner

3+: Knile Davis, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Brandon Brown-Dukes, Terrell Watson, Trey Williams

FB: Roosevelt Nix

There is no one to unseat Le'Veon Bell from the Steelers' top spot at running back, no matter what may come of him seeking a long-term contract instead of working the year under the franchise tag.

It also seems likely that 2017 third-round draft pick James Conner will serve as his backup for the upcoming season, especially given that he can not only run the ball with authority but also catch passes, something the Steelers have become very accustomed to out of their backs since Bell has been brought into the fold (he was targeted 94 times in the passing game last season).

The real question will be whether 2016's third-string running back, Fitzgerald Toussaint, can retain his job over free-agent signee Knile Davis. The latter has proven return skills on special teams that just may tip the scales in his favor, though it may not be out of the question that Toussaint finds a way to stick around whether on the 53-man roster (though not part of the 46 who dress on game day) or on the practice squad.

And when it comes to the latter, that's likely the only way that Brandon Brown-Dukes, Terrell Watson or Trey Williams will remain Steelers this year. Meanwhile, Roosevelt Nix will stay in Pittsburgh, serving as a fullback when needed and also as a key member of the team's special teams unit.

Wide Receiver

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1st: Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Eli Rogers

2nd: Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Justin Hunter

3+: Cobi Hamilton, Demarcus Ayers, Canaan Severin, Marcus Tucker

The Steelers are not hurting for either wide receiver talent nor depth, and it will be a must-watch battle for positioning on the bottom of the depth chart over the course of the summer. Antonio Brown is more than solidified as the team's top wideout, and Martavis Bryant will have no trouble making the roster this year after being reinstated in late April from his yearlong suspension. Also safe is second-round 2017 draft pick JuJu Smith-Schuster. After that, though, things get a little bit fuzzy.

The presence of Smith-Schuster could be a direct threat to Eli Rogers' job. Though Rogers was the Steelers' slot receiver last season—and their third-leading receiver—the glut of wideouts in Pittsburgh and Smith-Schuster being more than capable of working the same area of the field could make him an odd man out.

Sammie Coates projects to be a deep-threat insurance policy for Bryant. Though Coates battled through injuries in 2016 and had just 21 catches for 435 yards and two scores, most of those catches were high-impact. As the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Chris Adamski adroitly pointed out, Coates had more of his catches go for 40-plus yards than some of the league's top receivers combined, Brown included. That Coates also has the capability to return kicks and/or punts only confirms there should be room on the 53-man roster for him.

Special teams prowess is the main reason why Darrius Heyward-Bey could still have a spot on the roster this season. But the signing of Justin Hunter in free agency means that the Steelers have a plan for the former Tennessee Titan and likely means someone will have to go as a result.

This is not a good sign, therefore, for the likes of Cobi Hamilton, Demarcus Ayers, Canaan Severin and Marcus Tucker. Pittsburgh could keep up to six receivers on the 53-man roster; though a duo of these four may stick on the practice squad, there still is just not enough space for all of them to remain with the team.

Tight End

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1st: Jesse James

2nd: Xavier Grimble, David Johnson

3rd: Scott Orndoff, Phazahn Odom

With the departure of Ladarius Green in the offseason and the Steelers not drafting a tight end, the starting job at the position now belongs to Jesse James. After catching 39 passes for 338 yards and three scores a season ago, James may find himself with some competition for playing time.

Though billed as a No. 2 tight end, Xavier Grimble could turn into a valuable pass-catching asset for Pittsburgh this season. While the 24-year old caught only 11 passes for 118 yards a season ago, two of those receptions were touchdowns, and the 6'4", 261-pounder could be a valuable red-zone target in 2017. Meanwhile, David Johnson continues to hold down his role as a full-time blocker.

The third string is solely comprised of undrafted rookies—Scott Orndoff from Pitt and Phazhan Odom from Fordham. Either could be practice-squad candidates for 2017.

Offensive Line

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1st: Alejandro Villanueva, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert

2nd: Matt Feiler, Jerald Hawkins, B.J. Finney, Kyle Friend, Chris Hubbard

3rd: Mike Matthews, Brian Mihalik, Jake Rogers, Ethan Cooper, Keavon Milton

After a 2016 season that saw the Steelers quarterbacks sacked a total of 21 times (and just 17 for Ben Roethlisberger) and the run game average 4.3 yards per attempt (and 4.9 for Le'Veon Bell), there is no way, apart from injury, that the team's starting five on the offensive line will change at all during the course of the summer. Alejandro Villanueva, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert will, from left to right, be doing the offense's heavy lifting in 2017.

Finding the right backups will be key, though, given that the Steelers require their linemen to not just be well-trained but also athletic. This will make Chris Hubbard, a versatile offensive lineman who has been with the team since 2014, hard to cut. Jerald Hawkins is a promising young player who seems destined for the main roster. He missed all of his 2016 rookie year to a shoulder injury but could be just a year away from a starting job.

Another key is being able to stock the roster with only a handful of backup linemen who can play multiple positions, as the Steelers can't keep all five men pegged as second-stringers, given the 53-man limit. This will make the summer even more crucial for the five third-stringers. 

Defensive Line

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1st: Stephon Tuitt, Cameron Heyward, Javon Hargrave, Tyson Alualu

2nd: Daniel McCullers, L.T. Walton, Lavon Hooks, Roy Philon

3+: Farrington Huguenin, Nelson Adams, Christian Brown, Johnny Maxey, Francis Kallon

Last season, defensive end Cameron Heyward was limited to only seven games, landing on injured reserve with a torn pectoral. In his stead, L.T. Walton and Ricardo Mathews took over his snaps.

This year, Mathews is gone, but free-agent signee Tyson Alualu will handle his backup and situational role while Heyward returns as a healthy starter. His counterpart on the other side of the defensive line, Stephon Tuitt, has no competition for his starting job and could very well see a new contract before the season begins.

At defensive tackle, Javon Hargrave has the upper hand over Daniel McCullers, but the latter could easily remain in a backup role. Meanwhile, the rest of the defensive linemen on the roster will have a tough mountain to climb to earn more than a practice squad spot come September.

Linebacker

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1st: Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, Bud Dupree, James Harrison, T.J. Watt

2nd: Tyler Matakevich, Arthur Moats, Anthony Chickillo, L.J. Fort

3+: Steven Johnson, Keion Adams, Matt Galambos, Keith Kelsey, Kevin Anderson

With the departure of Jarvis Jones during free agency and a lighter workload ahead for James Harrison, 2017 should be the year that 2015 first-round draft pick Bud Dupree will get a chance to shine as a true starter at outside linebacker.

Also eating into Harrison's snaps this year is the presence of this year's first-rounder, T.J. Watt, who has already done work with the first-team defense. Still, it's hard not to call Harrison a first-teamer, given that he was the Steelers' sack leader a year ago and because he still has a crucial role to play on the defense.

At inside linebacker, Ryan Shazier will be joined by Vince Williams in a full-time capacity for this season, with Williams taking over for Lawrence Timmons, who was another free-agency loss. Tyler Matakevich will be a rotational piece, as should two backups on the outside, Arthur Moats and Anthony Chickillo. Among the third-stringers, rookies Matt Galambos and Keion Adams have the most practice squad potential. 

Cornerback

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1st: Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell, Cameron Sutton, William Gay

2nd: Senquez Golson, Coty Sensabaugh

3+: Brian Allen, Mike Hilton, Brandon Dixon, Greg Ducre

Unless something drastic happens over the summer, Pittsburgh's two starting cornerbacks on the outside should remain Artie Burns and Ross Cockrell. The real question is who will handle nickel (and dime) duties for the upcoming season.

Veteran William Gay should have an edge given his experience in the defense, but he may not be suited for every play as he's more suited to the zone looks the team has employed in the secondary. The switch to more man coverage, though, won't mean the Steelers won't use zone at all, which would at the very least make Gay a valuable backup or situational player. 

Thus, rookie Cameron Sutton or Coty Sensabaugh could take most of the slot snaps this year, though it should not be ruled out that a healthy Senquez Golson can prove to be the same ball hawk he was in college and work his way back from two seasons lost with injuries to make the team.

Rookie Brian Allen will thus head into training camp with the third-string defense; that's not just attributed to his inexperience and fifth-round draft pedigree but rather the glut of more talented and more veteran players ahead of him.

Safety

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1st: Sean Davis, Mike Mitchell

2nd: Robert Golden, Daimion Stafford, Jordan Dangerfield

3+: Jacob Hagen, Terrish Webb

With the Steelers' two starting safety jobs occupied by Sean Davis and Mike Mitchell, the next step is to figure out who will serve as their backups as well as the third safety used in certain coverage schemes. The best bet for the former would be Robert Golden, while the latter assignment should belong to Daimion Stafford, a former Tennessee Titan who did just that under former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

Thus, Jordan Dangerfield will have to hope that his special teams skills are enough to earn him a roster spot after the summer's work is completed. Jacob Hagen and Terrish Webb will round out the safety position at the bottom end of the defense.

Special Teams

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1st: Chris Boswell, Jordan Berry, Colin Holba

2+: Kameron Canaday

Returners: Sammie Coates, Eli Rogers, Knile Davis, Fitzgerald Toussaint

With no competition at either kicker or punter heading into training camp, it is assumed that Chris Boswell and Jordan Berry, respectively, will be reprising their roles on the Steelers' special teams. And though there will be a degree of a camp battle between long snappers Colin Holba and Kameron Canaday, the fact that the Steelers used a draft pick this year on Holba makes him the front-runner at this point.

Returner should be a more interesting position to watch. Knile Davis certainly has the edge as the Steelers' kick returner, having run back 73 career kicks for 1,960 yards and two scores since 2013. Fitzgerald Toussaint will be pushing him for that job (as well as that of No. 3 running back). On punts, receivers Sammie Coates and Eli Rogers will be among those trying to take over for Antonio Brown, who has become far too valuable to Pittsburgh's offense to be subjected to the punishment of special teams.

Others, like cornerback Cameron Sutton, could be worked into that mix, making Pittsburgh's projected return men a work in progress that will only be settled in training camp and during preseason games.