The Pittsburgh Steelers will open training camp before you know it, the first opportunity for most to watch their team. They have a lot of rookies drawing excitement this year, and young players on the verge of breaking out. But championship rosters require all sorts of players, and you never know quite where.
In that spirit, I offer a list of five defensive veterans who need a strong camp to retain their roster spots. These are guys who have already been on the roster but find themselves on the fringes, for whatever reason. Some may be closer to securing a job than others, but none of them can afford to slip.
DL DeMarvin Leal
A former third-round pick, DeMarvin Leal is facing a pivotal season. Entering Year 3, he is no longer on “scholarship”, so he must earn his way onto the Steelers’ 53-man roster. Leal is growing up, so they expect him to show the capacity to be a mature professional. The defensive line is particularly deep this year, and they will want to try to keep draft pick Logan Lee.
DL Isaiahh Loudermilk
Isaiahh Loudermilk could be competing with Leal (and Lee) for the same roster spot. The Steelers seem to like both, to some degree, but for Loudermilk, he simply has a low ceiling. In all likelihood, we have already seen his best. He may have to prove otherwise in training camp to keep his job.
ILB Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson is inside the roster bubble—unless Cole Holcomb manages to get himself ready for the start of the regular season. Now, Robinson is a special teams contributor, and the Steelers often keep five inside linebackers.
Even under those circumstances, however, a healthy Holcomb could be a problem for Robinson. The Steelers could keep extra players at a variety of positions that preclude them from keeping an extra linebacker. Four or five tight ends, for example, or four running backs. Seven defensive linemen are a possibility, as are 11 or 12 defensive backs. A lot of it depends on how they want their special teams to look.
CB Cameron Sutton
You can’t allegedly bite and strangle somebody and sign a Veteran Salary Benefit contract with no guarantees and sleepwalk your way through training camp. Under different circumstances, Cameron Sutton is a lock on the Steelers’ roster. But he shifted those circumstances with the way he conducted himself off the field, so he lost the right to elite job security.
The pendulum swinging over his head is a looming suspension. I can’t imagine he avoids one. The Steelers claim they have no prior idea what kind of punishment he may face, so if the NFL throws him a curveball, they could opt to cut bait. He could help persuade them otherwise with a standout performance on the field that reminds them why they drafted him.
CB Darius Rush
I was going to list Cory Trice Jr. instead of Darius Rush, but Trice technically hasn’t been on the roster. He spent his rookie season last year on the Reserve/Injured List, but Rush is ultimately in the same boat. A 2023 late-round pick, he does have some advantages: namely healthy knees and more versatility. The Steelers need depth both inside and outside, so the more he can do, the more job security.
