Steelers 53-Man Roster Projection: QBs Change Everything

Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Drew Allar

The one thing that has changed drastically over the last week, is the belief that the Steelers will keep all four quarterbacks. And why wouldn't they?

They're a team without a future at the position and two young talents that they have faith in. There is nothing more important for their future than finding the next franchise quarterback for the team, and until they do, keeping Drew Allar and Will Howard seems very likely.

Right now, all four make it.

Running Back

Rico Dowdle, Jaylen Warren, Travis Homer

No more Kaleb Johnson. After playing very minimal snaps against the Green Bay Packers, the Steelers seem to be hinting that Johnson is no longer part of the plan. His back-and-forth training camp didn't help, and there just doesn't seem to be a fit between him and McCarthy's offense.

Travis Homer can play special teams which lands him on the team.

Fullback

Riley Nowakowski

Nothing has changed at fullback except Riley Nowakowski continuing to get better. He's a lock for the 53-man roster where we stand today.

Wide Receiver

DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard, Kaden Wetjen, Ben Skowronek

While nothing changes here, look for Kaden Wetjen to be a player who may be more on the fringe than we think. McCarthy didn't have the kindest words for him after Wetjen got caught inside the 5-yard line against the Packers after a pass from Drew Allar.

It feels like McCarthy is sending a warning to Wetjen that he needs to be able to play offense and special teams to make this team. Besides that, everyone else seems set in stone.

Tight End

Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan

Robert Tonyan seems like a roster lock right now. Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington aren't going anywhere, but Tonyan has been very consistent throughout training camp and seems to be a veteran presence that the offense wants around. Look for him to be on this team, and probably not the 53rd man either.

Offensive Line (Interior)

Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson, Brock Hoffman, Gennings Dunker

No Ryan McCollum because of the four quarterbacks. The backup center has a better chance of making the team if Brock Hoffman beats out Spencer Anderson, but the Steelers will hope to be able to sneak him onto the practice squad, even if he's probably better than the practice squad. He's, unfortunately, the roster casualty for Howard.

Offensive Tackle

Dylan Cook, Troy Fautanu, Broderick Jones, Max Iheanachor

Broderick Jones is on this roster and may have a chance to improve his role within the team as well. However, the return of Max Iheanachor can change things pretty quickly. Jones still needs to add weight and muscle, but Dylan Cook didn't look good against the Packers, and if the first-round rookie is out, Jones is needed.

Defensive Tackle

Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Dean Lowry, Gabe Rubio, Sebastian Joseph-Day

Dean Lowry and Gabe Rubio are roster bubble players who may be forcing the team's hand to keep them. The sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame is making everyone who doubted the pick eat their words. He looks strong and has had moments of dominance on the inside.

Lowry has also looked good and may be too big a risk to sneak through to the practice squad. With Sebastian Joseph-Day missing time because of an unknown injury, the Steelers won't be able to move on from either and will hope they're all available come Week 1.

Outside Linebacker

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer

No changes here. It's unlikely the Steelers will move on from Highsmith this offseason, but anything may still be on the table. They seem to like their group of four, though.

Inside Linebacker

Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Elandon Roberts, Carson Bruener

A big change here. The Steelers signed Elandon Roberts, which probably means Cole Holcomb is the odd man out. Malik Harrison hasn't had a chance all summer, and Carson Bruener is the special teams ace, which means he's not going anywhere. This group looks a lot better with Roberts included, but they don't have the room to keep five inside linebackers. Again, because of the quarterbacks.

Cornerback

Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Jamel Dean, Brandin Echols, Asante Samuel Jr., Daylen Everette

The Steelers' most impressive position group is cornerback, but only if they're healthy. No one knows the extent of Jalen Ramsey's injury, but it doesn't feel minor. Right now, it's probably not a bad guess to suggest he can miss regular season time.

Joey Porter Jr. still hasn't signed a contract and no one knows if he'll play this season without one. He should if he doesn't want to risk it backfiring, and the expectation is still that Porter Jr. signs before Week 1.

It's Asante Samuel Jr., Jamel Dean and Daylen Everette heading into the second preseason game, though. Brandin Echols is dealing with an ankle injury, and the Steelers' most promising position looks pretty bare right now.

Safety

DeShon Elliott, Jaquan Brisker, Robert Spears-Jennings

The Steelers are hoping Ramsey is available and can play both slot cornerback and safety. If that happens, Robert Spears-Jennings could operate as the fourth safety and you probably don't need to worry too much about his impact.

While Spears-Jennings has impressed, he did struggle the last few days of training camp. If Ramsey isn't able to go, that could force the Steelers to think about a veteran like Rayshawn Jenkins. We'll say Ramsey is back and Spears-Jennings stays, though.

Special Teams

Chris Boswell (K), Cameron Johnston (P), Christian Kuntz (LS)

And once again, Laith Marjan isn't beating out Chris Boswell. Besides that, there's no competition to talk about. See you in preseason Week 3!