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The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for their second preseason matchup of the year which will take place on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. There are plenty of things that have yet to be set in stone and there are position battles going on in all three phases of the game. One of the more underrated competitions throughout camp has been going on at punter. Head Coach, Mike Tomlin and special teams coordinator, Danny Smith need to make a decision regarding who will be the team's starting punter in 2023.
The incumbent, Pressley Harvin III, has not had the best start to his career with the Steelers. Fans have been calling for the organization to move on from him since his rookie season. The former seventh-round pick has stuck around and had a slightly better second season in 2022, but that didn't stop the front office from brining in tough competition for the starting job in 2023.
Braden Mann spent the first three seasons of his career with the New York Jets after being selected in the sixth round back in 2020. Mann has averaged nearly two more career yards per punt than Harvin III while the two are nearly identical in net average. Mann had a career year in 2022, however, as he was at almost 47 yards per punt and had career highs in boots inside the 20-yard line and net average.
Harvin III also improved his second year, averaging almost two more yards per punt in 2022. Both punters have been going head-to-head in training camp and Mann had a solid first showing in the team's first preseason game. He got six opportunities against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had a long of 51 yards and averaged 45.7 yards per punt.
Is The Steelers Punting Battle Already Decided?
While Harvin III is the favorite to hold onto his starting spot on the punting team, there are still multiple preseason games and several practices left until the 53-man roster is solidified. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, however, is confident that the team's positional battle at punter may have come to an end during Tuesday's practice.
If there was a punting competition in camp, it might have ended today with the performance by Pressley Harvin. He bombed six consecutive punts, turning each one over with the nose pointing down on descent. That's what coaches look for.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) August 16, 2023
Dulac had a front row seat to Harvin's display on Tuesday and while he hasn't completely won over the Steelers fan base, a clear jump in consistency in 2023 will absolutely get his career moving in the right direction. It should be expected that Harvin III will get his first preseason action against the Bills on Saturday and fans should be excited to see if he can perform in a real 2023 matchup.
Competition is a great thing to have and the Steelers coaching staff and front office have made it clear that bringing out the best in all three phases of the game was a major goal entering 2023 training camp. The team signed several external free agents, including Mann, in order to have everyone on the preseason roster bring their A-game every day.
The exciting punting battle in training camp will continue and while Dulac believes it may have already been decided, anything can happen prior to the final cutdown to the 53-man roster. The biggest problem with Harvin's game since he was drafted has been consistency and if he can continue to show that in the coming weeks, he will resume the role for the Steelers in 2023.
Who do you want to be the Steelers starting punter?
More must-reads:
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