The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t wasting any time with rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier as the Ohio State product reportedly practiced with the starters Tuesday during the first OTA practice of the 2014 season.
Shazier, the Steelers first-round draft pick, still has several months to go before the season-opener against the Cleveland Browns, but being as he saw first-team reps Tuesday at the mack linebacker spot alongside Lawrence Timmons certainly shows that the team already has a lot of confidence in his abilities.
If Shazier does manage to hold on to the starting spot all offseason, he will be the first Steelers defensive rookie to open a season as a starter since linebacker Kendrell Bell last accomplished the feat in 2001.
Last season, then-rookie Vince Williams started 11 games alongside Timmons after starter Larry Foote was lost for the year to a biceps injury suffered in the season-opener.
