Steelers' Roster Versatility Becoming A Strength, As Now Isaiahh Loudermilk Sees Snaps At OLB

It feels like a whole new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have their quarterback, and there is plenty of youth throughout the roster. With a new general manager leading the front office, everything feels different. Omar Khan has shown an eagerness to pursue free agents and trades when they make sense. The hype is real in Latrobe, perhaps the most we've seen since the days of the Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell-led offenses. 

In training camp thus far, we've seen guys doing whatever it takes to try and make the 53-man roster. That has meant more roster versatility than ever, specifically guys from the past few draft classes. Rookie seventh-rounder Spencer Anderson has lined up all over the offensive line, just like he did in his time at Maryland. It seems like he's settled in at the center position, as the first depth chart had him as the fourth-string there.

Kendrick Green has been the most prevalent example of this, as he's turned into a fan favorite in Latrobe. After a failed experiment at center in his rookie season, he was moved to left guard in 2022. Kevin Dotson beat him out for the starting job, and the Illinois product didn't see the field once after starting 15 games as a rookie. Fast forward to this offseason, and it seemed like he could be a legitimate cut candidate.

That held especially true after the front office invested heavily into the interior part of the offensive line, bringing in veterans Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig. In this year's Friday Night Lights in Latrobe, Green surprised everyone by getting snaps as the H-back. Sophomore tight end / fullback Connor Heyward has lined up all over the place too, so it'll be interesting to see how the team utilizes both him and Green moving forward.

Green did quite well in his cameo too, and he now has an opportunity to make the roster as more than just a lineman. The same can be said for Isaiahh Loudermilk, although he's on the defensive side of the ball. In his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, Loudermilk has lined up in a few different spots along the defensive line. Similar to Green, he saw his playing time decrease in 2022 by over 150 snaps on defense.

Now, he's doing whatever he can to ensure a spot on the Week 1 roster. That means he's been taking snaps at outside linebacker recently and according to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Loudermilk is loving it. The depth on the edge is still a slight concern, although rookie Nick Herbig has showed out in training camp so far, and Markus Golden is a solid veteran presence.

"I love it. It’s a lot different because I don’t have to worry about getting double-teamed when I am out there, things like that. I can just really line up and go. I don’t have to worry about a tackle coming down or a center coming to me. It’s a little unnatural for me at times, but I like doing it. I am a taller, lengthy guy, so I feel like I kind of have some rushes on the edge that I can [execute] just because of my height," Loudermilk said via Adamski.

With plenty of options along the defensive line, this could be Loudermilk's best shot at making the 53-man roster. Similar to DeMarvin Leal, he is seeing time at outside linebacker. It's simple. The more versatility, the more value that you can bring to the roster. The Steelers roster features a lot of talent and at this point in the summer, it's clear that they possess a ton of versatility as well. 

The defensive back room has several players playing different positions throughout the summer as well, most notably Elijah Riley. Originally listed as a safety on the team, he's seen snaps at slot cornerback as well. He's done well too, making several plays in Latrobe so far. The aforementioned Herbig can play multiple positions too, as several NFL scouts saw him as an off-ball linebacker in the NFL.

The Steelers have kept him on the edge in camp so far, and it seems to be paying off. It's guys like this that will only help make the Steelers a better team throughout the 2023 campaign. Loudermilk is just the latest example of this versatility found throughout the roster.

What was your initial reaction to seeing Green line up as an H-back on Friday evening? Do you think Loudermilk has a chance to stick as an OLB? Who has impressed you the most in Latrobe so far?