The 2018 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers was forgettable on multiple levels. Missing the playoffs was unexpected and all the end of the year drama just compounded an early start to the offseason. But 2019 is here now and there is hope Pittsburgh will be able to move past the problems of last season and return to prominence. If this is to happen, it could be the young guys on the roster who step up to support the established veterans.
There are so many young guys we are looking forward to seeing in training camp this year but here are our top four.
WR James Washington
We spent a great deal of time last offseason hyping up Washington, even before the Steelers drafted him in the second round. So you can imagine our disappointment when Washington failed to even make a dent in the depth chart. Washington is coming to camp in better shape and we are banking on a training camp and preseason to make everyone forget his 16 receptions as a rookie.
EDGE Ola Adeniyi
Adeniyi is another second-year guy who is hoping to take all he learned as a rookie and use it to earn meaningful snaps in 2019. Pittsburgh needs another edge rusher for the outside linebacker rotation and based on how they have treated the position in the draft and free agency, they are counting on Adeniyi making big strides.
LB Ulysees Gilbert III
Speaking of linebackers, while everyone is excited about Pittsburgh drafted Devin Bush, I’m looking just as forward to seeing Gilbert on the field. He’s an uber-athletic player who was incredibly productive in a variety of roles in college. The Steelers are showing a significant commitment to adding athletes on defense and we have a feeling Gilbert is going to make a smooth transition to the NFL game.
TE Zach Gentry
The inclusion of Gentry on this list is because I don’t see what the Steelers saw in him to draft him in the fifth round. His film isn’t overwhelming and his productivity fairly mediocre. We want to see if he can crank up his game at the next level because clearly, the Steelers are banking on his potential.
