With OTAs officially underway, we will soon have an idea of what the Pittsburgh Steelers roster will look like. Of course, most of the roster spots are already locked down by established veterans or rookies with high expectations. Every year, there is the potential for a handful of surprise players to perform strongly at training camp and earn themselves a roster spot. Below are three under the radar players with an outside chance to make the Steelers roster.
Three Surprise Players Who Could Make Pittsburgh Steelers Roster
Rodney Williams
Kicking off this list is a player who performed well in a limited role for Pittsburgh last season. He didn’t have a role on the Steelers offense, with just 55 total offensive snaps. However, it was special teams where the tight end was able to carve out a role for himself. Williams recorded six tackles and showcased a high motor on all phases of special teams. His hustle almost scored him a touchdown; Williams was a split second away from falling on a blocked punt for a score before it rolled out the back of the end zone.
Williams chances of making the Steelers roster will come down to how much they value special teams play versus having an extra blocking tight end. They signed MyCole Pruitt over the offseason, who has played for Arthur Smith with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons. Smith will want to run the ball effectively, and Pruitt’s excellent blocking skills will be a big help. But, Pittsburgh already has a good blocking tight end in Darnell Washington. They also lost two key special teams players this offseason, James Pierre and Myles Boykin, so they could feel inclined to give a roster spot to Williams.
Trenton Thompson
As they suffered injuries in their secondary last year, the Steelers roster consisted of several unprepared safeties getting too many snaps. Of the grab bag group of players, Trenton Thompson was by far the most effective. He is a bigger-bodied safety who can play in the box but also showcased strong playmaking abilities, too. Thompson totaled 22 tackles, three passes defended, and one interception in six games before suffering a season-ending injury.
After adding DeShon Elliott in free agency and getting Demontae Kazee back from injury, the Steelers might be set at safety. Minkah Fitzpatrick will join Elliott and Kazee, along with Miles Killebrew, who will be kept around for his special teams contributions. They are unlikely to keep a fifth safety, but Thompson will make that decision a hard one. The versatility and playmaking skills he showed last year will give him a real chance to make the Steelers roster.
Breiden Fehoko
Despite spending the 2023 season with the Steelers, either on the practice squad or active roster, Breiden Fehoko didn’t see the field at all. It was surprising to never see Fehoko take a snap when Pittsburgh struggled with defensive line depth and stopping the run throughout the season. Fehoko doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher, but he can be helpful as a run-stuffing nose tackle. With serious question marks along their defensive line, Pittsburgh could look to keep Fehoko around due to his experience. Some of their other depth options have zero or very minimal NFL reps. While he won’t be an every down player, Breiden Fehoko could have a good training camp and secure himself a spot as a key depth piece.
Main Photo Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
