Once the Pittsburgh Steelers finally get back together, the coaching staff will have a significant amount of talent to sort through all the talent on the roster and figure out which groups of starters give this team the best chance to win.
Here are five guys we think could end up stealing (sort of) starting jobs by the time the season starts.
OT Zach Banner
Banner ending up the starting right tackle actually depends on what happens at left guard. The position took a huge hit this offseason when Ramon Foster retired and B.J. Finney signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Stefen Wisniewski was signed as a replacement but he’s more of a journeyman than a top starter. This means the Steelers could move starting right tackle Matt Feiler to left guard leaving Banner and Chuks Okorafor competing for the starting right tackle spot.
RB Benny Snell Jr.
I’m as big a James Conner fan as everyone else. But the best all-around back on the roster with NFL experience might be Snell. With Conner heading into the final year of his contract, I don’t see head coach Mike Tomlin cutting Conner out of reps unless Snell really steps up but this team must do everything to win while they have Ben Roethlisberger healthy.
LB Ulysees Gilbert III
It’s assumed that Vince Williams is going to slide back into the starting lineup with Mark Barron gone. And in the Steelers base 3-4, this is probably the case. But the reason Barron beat out Williams last season was his athleticism and ability to play off the ball. In sub-packages, Gilbert offers a much more athletic option and could end up getting a ton of reps.
TE Vance McDonald
I know what you are thinking. Yes, McDonald is already the incumbent starting tight end. But Pittsburgh didn’t sign Eric Ebron to be the backup. With the rest of the talent on the roster, don’t look for a lot of two-tight end sets so McDonald needs to step up and hold off Ebron if he wants to start on the field.
CB Cameron Sutton
No, no one is saying Sutton is going to supplant Joe Haden, Steven Nelson or even Mike Hilton. But Sutton can play and he can play cornerback and safety. Personally, I’d love to see Sutton get an honest shot to beat out Terrell Edmunds and start next to Minkah Fitzpatrick. But don’t be shocked if Sutton is the coverage cornerback in the nickel when Hilton comes off the field and the dime backer as a hybrid cornerback/safety. That combo would mean a huge jump in snaps this season.
