Could WR Steven Sims make Steelers' final roster?

Officially, the Pittsburgh Steelers have not named a starting quarterback for Week 1, but free-agent pickup Mitchell Trubisky seems to have a significant advantage over career backup Mason Rudolph and first-round draft selection Kenny Pickett in any competition. 

One thing for certain this summer is the Steelers aren't lacking talented pass-catchers. Along with Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh may have a star-in-the-making in tight end and 2021 second-round draft pick Pat Freiermuth. The Steelers have also received praise for grabbing Georgia wide receiver George Pickens in the second round and Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III in the fourth round of this year's draft. 

Thus, it's understandable Steven Sims has become somewhat of a forgotten figure. The 25-year-old appeared in 28 games with the now-Washington Commanders over the 2019 and 2020 seasons but has since made little impact in the league. In total, Sims has 61 career catches for 575 yards and five touchdowns.

For a piece published Friday, though, Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review explained how Sims could find himself playing for the Steelers on Sundays this fall. 

"But Sims' shtick is to play the slot — and that is a position from which the Steelers lost two players in free agency (JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ray-Ray McCloud) and have no obvious replacement lined up," Adamski noted. "If rookie Calvin Austin can’t handle the gig and the Steelers believe Chase Claypool is better on the outside, the slot receiver job is wide open and Sims could perhaps make a run at it."

The previously-mentioned Austin is a fourth-round choice and hardly a sure thing. Sims may have somewhat of an upper hand in a position battle if only because of his familiarity with life in the NFL compared to the rookie.