Two Young Steelers Named Breakout Candidates

The Pittsburgh Steelers, despite their modest success in recent years, have not been known to be a particularly deep team. The Steelers struggles down the stretch in recent years have been exacerbated by a lack of depth and particular players not playing well. 

That being said, there are a couple of players who have been able to stand out despite their counterparts’ lack of good play. 

On the defensive side, Cory Trice Jr. has stood out as a defensive back despite a low snap count and a strong group in front of him.

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports listed Trice as a possible breakout candidate for the coming season for the Steelers.

"OK, so Trice hasn't been ridiculously productive in less than 200 career professional snaps. His play's been encouraging, and I vividly recollect how intimidating his ball skills were in the Big Ten as a cornerback standing 6-foot-3 with nearly 33-inch arms," Trapasso wrote. "If he can stay off the injury report, Trice has the towering presence to pair nicely with Joey Porter Jr. in the Steelers' secondary, which is a dire need for this club."

On the offensive side of the ball, he wrote about backup tight end Darnell Washington and his possible future impact under Aaron Rodgers.

"Another huge swing here," Trapasso wrote. "I can't resist. After all Washington nearly tripled his

reception total from his rookie season to Year 2. Granted, he went from seven receptions to 19, it's still nearly triple. With Aaron Rodgers under center, I envision this third-year tight end becoming a Marcedes Lewis-type security blanket for the veteran quarterback and catching 40-plus passes while making his presence felt in the red zone too."

While the stars typically run the show, the Steelers certainly have depth candidates that could step up and lead the team.