The Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their first week of training camp Sunday and will resume on Tuesday. Some of their top storylines so far include Justin Fields capitalizing on early opportunities, George Pickens potentially being in some hot water, and Van Jefferson staking his claim on the WR2 spot. Another storyline has been the strong showing from the Steelers’ strong group of rookies. Their 2024 rookie class has high expectations and, although it’s very early, have lived up to the hype so far.
Steelers Rookies Living Up to Hype at Training Camp
Strong Contributions on Defense
One of the Steelers’ top overall players (not just rookies) so far at training camp has been linebacker Payton Wilson. Drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round, Wilson’s abilities were never in doubt. He fell to the end of the third round due to injury concerns. When he’s on the field, Wilson can do just about anything that would be asked of a linebacker. Wilson entered training camp as one of the key Steelers to watch and has delivered so far. He has earned glowing reviews from some of his veteran teammates, like Patrick Queen and Deshon Elliott.
#Steelers S DeShon Elliott on rookie LB Payton Wilson.
“He might be the most mature rookie when it comes to preparation. He’s a freak athlete. He’s really smart. He learns from his mistakes. … I think Payton is gonna be Payton and he’s gonna be a great player in the NFL.” pic.twitter.com/cTAyHvAx8V
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) July 26, 2024
Elsewhere on defense, although he was undrafted, cornerback Beanie Bishop has been one of the best Steelers rookies so far. When Cameron Sutton’s suspension was announced, Pittsburgh was left with a glaring need at slot cornerback for the first ten games of the season. The battle for the slot corner position became one of the top position battles to watch at Steelers camp. Bishop has established himself as the early front-runner, evidenced by the Steelers releasing Josiah Scott, who was expected to be Bishop’s top competition for the starting job.
The Steelers are releasing veteran slot CB Josiah Scott. Stock continues to rise for UDFA Beanie Bishop, who received most of the 1st team slot reps the first four practices. #Steelers
(via @JFowlerESPN) https://t.co/OJ2yaQucwK
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) July 30, 2024
Offensive Investments Look Promising
The Steelers invested heavily into their offense early in the draft, especially their offensive line. Three of their first five picks were used to bolster the trenches. Rookies Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick are all running with the second team offensive line, for now. That will likely change for Fautanu and Frazier. Fautanu got some snaps with the first team and reportedly held his own.
Troy Fautanu getting some work in with the 1st team today, and is actually holding his own against the best defensive player in the world today in T.J. Watt.
Watt is getting his wins as he always does, but Fautanu is making him work.#HereWeGo #Steelers
— Jack Sperry (@jack_sperry) July 28, 2024
McCormick also ran some with the first team when veteran left guard Isaac Seumalo took a day off. Frazier hasn’t played much with the first team, playing behind Nate Herbig at center early on at camp. Remember, the team hasn’t been in full pads yet. Frazier should have no problem moving ahead of Herbig on the depth chart as the offseason progresses.
Finally, there is perhaps the biggest sleeper of this year’s Steelers rookies. Wide receiver Roman Wilson has gotten a lot of attention for his showing in the first week of training camp. While Jefferson has been the favorite to be the Steelers’ WR2, Wilson has reportedly entered himself into the conversation. The main knock on Wilson was that he was only suited to be a slot wide receiver in the NFL. If that’s the case, he will still carve out a nice role for himself in the Steelers offense. But if Wilson can prove he’s capable of consistently contributing on the outside, then his stock will continue rising.
Main Image: Barry Reeger – USA Today Sports
