Steelers Camp Takeaways: Promising WR Takes Over

The 11th practice of training camp started with Aaron Rodgers discussing Roman Wilson and how he needs to get out of his own head to take the next step forward.

“I got to get Roman out of his head a little bit," Rodgers said. "I think he’s such a good kid. He cares so much about whether it’s my approval or he’s doing it right. He’s just got to trust himself because he’s so damn talented. The more that he can play free and not think out there, the better he’s going to play. The more he can just trust what he’s got and just go out and react, the better he’s going to play."

Wilson probably didn't hear this before practice, but he sure played like he did.

Running with the first and second team offense, Wilson had a few good plays. He beat James Pierre on the outside. He had a perfect quick slant that left him wide open for Aaron Rodgers. And then later, Rodgers escaped the pocket and found Wilson on the sideline in between two defenders.

It may have been Wilson's best day on the field at training camp, and a good sign of life for the second-year wideout.

Winner of the Day - Max Hurleman

The Steelers have a sleeper everyone should know. And while it's a long shot that he makes the 53-man roster, he's a ton of fun to watch, and one of the most athletic and capable players on the team.

Max Hurlman was a running back on Colgate before becoming a defensive back and punt returner at Notre Dame. For the Steelers, he's listed as a runner but is playing wide receiver. And he does nothing but make plays and look freakishly athletic.

Hurleman caught a pass in the endzone where he jumped roughly four inches higher than the defender covering him. He had a moment on kick return where (and no, there were no pads) he may have broken a seem for a score. And every day, there seems to be more and more plays made by him.

He's the perfect practice squad candidate, but the Steelers better hope they don't lost him. He's agile, blazing-fast and capable of playing everywhere. A Swiss Army Knife that has looked very good at training camp.

Maybe good enough to give himself a shot in the preseason to push the limits of the regular season roster.

Yayha Black Blocks Everything

Steelers fifth-round rookie Yahya Black is getting better by the day as a defensive tackle. He's physical, learning to utilize his size and moving guys at the line of scrimmage. But what makes this player special is his hands, and how many times he's able to knock the ball down at the line of scrimmage.

It started with Black knocking several passes down before the team started padded practiced. At the time, you were thinking that when the linemen had their hands on his pads, he wouldn't be able to keep doing it. That didn't stop him.

In practice No. 11, he batted two more passes down and then blocked a field goal by holding up a dummy bag. This guy doesn't miss.

Black is quickly making his way up the depth chart and will likely be the team's primary backup behind Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon and Keeanu Benton. And the future is bright, especially if he's playing third down passing plays.

Scotty Miller Taking First-Team Reps

The Steelers' second-best wide receiver at training camp at probably been Scotty Miller. He's had consistent day after consistent day and is making more plays than anyone outside of DK Metcalf. But up until this point, there wasn't much to talk about because he was doing to with the third string.

Well, that changed. Miller took the first reps with the first team during team drills and caught the first ball from Rodgers on a route over the middle. From there, he caught another pass, beating Juan Thornhill over the middle again.

Miller has to be on the verge of not just making this roster but competing for playing time. A strong preseason will do more than training camp, but the team has be paying attention. And it feels like he's finally gaining momentum to be a contributor to this offense.