The Pittsburgh Steelers will most likely have a new fullback in 2023 as the team has reportedly shown very little interest in bringing back Derek Watt. With Watt gone, many have pointed to second-year player, Connor Heyward to replace him, as he has experience playing the position during his time at Michigan State. Heyward played tight end for the Steelers in 2022, but at only 6'0" tall, he may be better suited for a position change this upcoming season.
Heyward was impressive this past season both on offense and special teams. As long as he continues this high level of play in training camp and preseason, his spot with the Steelers is secure. With him transitioning away from the tight end group, this opens up the door for the team to keep Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, and Darnell Washington on the roster.
Historically speaking, the Steelers normally keep three tight ends and one fullback on the team. However, there is one undrafted free agent fullback who may be able to break this trend in 2023, Iowa's Monte Pottebaum.
Would The Steelers Really Keep Both Heyward And Pottebaum On The Roster?
Two fullbacks? In this economy? While it may seem like a bit of a stretch, it is important to keep in mind that Heyward will most likely play a variety of different roles for the Steelers in 2023, lining up at slot receiver, in-line tight end, and h-back. Pottebaum, on the other hand, would most likely play a more traditional fullback role.
In all likelihood, the best chance for Pottebaum to catch the eye of Steelers' coaches is to perform well on special teams. With Watt, along with Marcus Allen, and Benny Snell yet to re-sign, there is an obvious need for core-four special teams players. If Pottebaum can prove his worth in this facet of the game, he may be a viable option for the team to consider, even with Heyward already taking a majority of the offensive snaps at fullback.
Pottebaum offers little in terms of running or catching the ball, as he only had career 20 career rushing attempts for 82 yards and 10 receptions for 85 yards during his time at Iowa. With that being said, there is no denying how impressive he is as a lead blocker. He has legitimate NFL size at 6'1" and 240 pounds and plays the game with an extremely high motor.
He is a true "throwback" at the fullback position, and could potentially help the Steelers achieve tremendous things in the run game. There may be no bigger advocates for Pottebaum than Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
Final Thoughts On Pottebaum
While Pottebaum will likely face an uphill battle of making the active roster in 2023, his signing bonus of $10,000 may be an indication of how much the Steelers wanted him as an undrafted free agent.
His tenacity on the football field makes him an intriguing name to watch out for over the course of training camp and preseason. With the team in desperate need of players on the special teams unit, there may be reason to believe that he has at least a fighting chance of playing for his childhood team in 2023.
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