Stock Up, Stock Down After Pittsburgh Steelers' 3rd Preseason Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their first loss of the preseason in Week 3, falling 19-15 to the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.

However, winning or losing wasn't really what mattered. Instead, the all-important dress rehearsal for the regular season is just another tool in the Pittsburgh coaches' box to determine the most effective roster for the upcoming year.

Some players helped or hurt their chances of making the 53-man roster or being an important part of the Steelers' game-day plans for the 2017 season.

With that in mind, here are some players whose stock is rising and falling in Pittsburgh after the game.

Stock Up: QB Landry Jones

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For the majority of training camp and through the first two preseason games, longtime backup Steelers quarterback Landry Jones has been sidelined with an abdominal injury.

That has opened the door to Joshua Dobbs getting two summertime starts and also led to Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin saying last week that the rookie had the opportunity to leapfrog Jones on the depth chart.

But Jones finally made it back to the field in the team's third preseason game and got the most playing time among Pittsburgh's quarterbacks. And his performance—21 completions on 31 attempts, for 163 yards, one touchdown, one interception and one sack taken—should be proof enough that he's still the top option to back up starter Ben Roethlisberger in 2017.

Dobbs did get some playing time, working as cleanup and completing four of his seven pass attempts for 24 yards and a sack (as well as a nine-yard run).

However, Dobbs' preseason so far has reflected his rookie status, proving he has much to learn before he can unseat Jones.

Now that Jones is healthy, he shouldn't worry about his standing on the depth chart.

Stock Down: WR Justin Hunter

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When the Steelers picked up free-agent receiver Justin Hunter in the spring, it seemed like a sign they had a plan for the veteran which included him being a part of the 53-man roster for 2017. But those hopes are quickly fading.

Though Hunter had a solid performance during training camp, it is quickly becoming clear he is among the numerous wideouts on the Steelers' roster who are on the outside of the bubble. Nothing proved that more than Saturday's game.

Hunter played just two snaps total, per Steelers Depot's Alex Kozora, seeing just one passing target (with zero catches). Meanwhile, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Sammie Coates handled most of the backup duties in the 26-year-old's stead, with 14 offensive snaps (and two on special teams) for the former and 48 for Coates. 

It doesn't matter that Hunter was impressive during practices if he cannot get on to the field and make a significant contribution to Pittsburgh's offense. At this point, he is a long-shot to make the Steelers' roster.

Stock Up: LB Ryan Shazier

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Steelers inside linebacker Ryan Shazier is in no danger of losing his starting status this year.

Given his level of experience and importance to his team, it would have come as no surprise to not see him in a preseason game until Week 3. But it wasn't just veteran rest that  kept him off the field until the Colts game—it was an injury. And with Shazier's history of injuries, any time missed is never a good thing.

But Shazier finally made his preseason debut on Saturday after missing the first two games and much of training camp with a hamstring issue.

Though he played only 16 snaps and recorded just one tackle and one pass defensed, the fact he could return to the field is a good sign for a defense that needs him for his pass-rushing prowess and his work defending passes in coverage.

Also of note is that Shazier's snaps were not limited because of his recent injury but were kept to the same level as most of Pittsburgh's key starters. The hope is that his latest hamstring ailment is behind him and he'll be ready for a full complement of snaps come the start of the regular season.

Stock Down: CB Ross Cockrell

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The entire Steelers defense struggled yet again to defend the pass, giving up 257 passing yards to the Colts on Saturday.

Scott Tolzien, the Colts' fill-in starter for the injured Andrew Luck, had 123 passing yards and his backup, Stephen Morris, had another 143. The pair were sacked only once, while Pittsburgh's defense gave up completions of 10 or more yards to seven different Indianapolis receivers, including a 55-yard catch-and-run by Donte Moncrief and another 32-yard completion to Phillip Dorsett. 

Though numerous Steelers defenders can and should take the blame for the performance, cornerback Ross Cockrell saw his stock drop more than any of his peers.

For one, he was heading into the game with his starting job on the line, with both Coty Sensabaugh and Mike Hilton stealing his first-team reps during practice earlier in the week. For another, Cockrell didn't do much in the game to prove he deserves to get them back.

Cockrell recorded only two tackles in the contest while playing 14 snaps. Sensabaugh played 24 snaps and had two tackles, while Hilton had two tackles in 19 snaps played. Rookie Cameron Sutton finally made his preseason debut and worked both on the outside and in the slot, totaling 16 defensive snaps played and ending the day with an impressive three tackles (including one for a loss) and a pass defensed.

Cockrell may have sat atop Pittsburgh's cornerback depth chart alongside Artie Burns all summer. But if the preseason has been any indication, that may not be the case when the Steelers release their first official depth chart before Week 1.

Stock Up: TE Xavier Grimble

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Heading into the summer, it seemed like tight end Xavier Grimble's roster spot would be safe. Though never expected to serve as the Steelers' starter—that job belongs to Jesse James—the promising pass-catcher and blocker looked primed for a breakout year and a bigger role.

But Grimble struggled during his first two preseason games, despite looking good during training-camp practices. It had even gotten to the point where Jake McGee, signed by the Steelers on August 2, would surpass the 24-year-old on the depth chart and perhaps just take his roster spot outright.

However, Grimble finally showed up and impressed on Saturday night against the Colts, and he certainly increased his prospects for job security in 2017.

Grimble caught all three of the passes thrown his way on Saturday, totaling 26 yards and a score. He was also an outstanding blocker in the contest, showing off the versatility he was able to display in fits and spurts a season ago.

The Steelers' tight end group is not a particularly notable one, which means there will be opportunities for players such as Grimble to make cases for themselves during the summer's evaluation process. He didn't taken full advantage of them in the Steelers' first two preseason games, but in the third he demonstrated he still belongs.

Stock Down: RB James Conner

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Rookie Steelers running back James Conner was a standout of the team's second preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, rushing 20 times for 98 yards and catching one three-yard pass. And his performance against the Colts wasn't poor, with four rushes for 26 yards in a Steelers' run game effort that only attempted 22 combined runs.

But it was when Conner got those carries that has his stock falling following Week 3 of the preseason. He wasn't the starter—the first rushing snaps of the game belonged to Knile Davis—which means it's likely Conner starts the regular season as No. 3 on the depth chart and thus not the primary backup to Le'Veon Bell. 

That's not to say Conner won't get playing time this year or won't be able to unseat Davis as the season progresses. But the fact he did not get the start on Saturday provides an illuminating look at where he stands at the position.

Though Conner impressed against Atlanta, the Steelers apparently value having the veteran Davis directly behind Bell to start the season.

Stock Up: RB Trey Williams

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Though his role has been limited so far this offseason, Steelers running back Trey Williams may actually find himself making the 53-man roster this year, serving as the team's punt return specialist.

For two games now, Williams has been the only player to return punts. Last week, against the Atlanta Falcons, he had three returns for a total of 77 yards and a touchdown. He had three more for 10 yards against the Indianapolis Colts.

Though in that game he had only one carry, yielding 10 yards, and played just nine total snaps (five on offense, four on special teams), the fact Williams has sole possession of a special-teams role the Steelers needed to fill this summer certainly helps his chances to stick around into the fall.

Pittsburgh would have no problem keeping a fourth running back on the 53-man roster if that person can provide not just depth at the position but upside elsewhere, notably on special teams.

Williams has managed to stand out in that respect, which gives him an advantage over other Steelers' backs such as Fitzgerald Toussaint and Terrell Watson.