The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2021 offseason practices concluded last week. Next up for the team is their annual training camp, which should get underway in the latter part of July. Ahead of training camp, we will preview the team’s 90-man roster three players at a time for you as part of a 30-post series. This Steelers 90-man roster preview that includes outlooks for each player goes alphabetically by last name to make it easy to follow along with.
The next three players we will preview today are Miles Killebrew, Christian Kuntz, and Justin Layne.
S/ILB Miles Killebrew — The Steelers signed Killebrew as an outside unrestricted free agent back in March after the Utah product wrapped up his first four seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. Killebrew is viewed as a safety/linebacker hybrid type player overall. Last season with the Lions, he recorded 12 total tackles but did not play a single defensive snap for them. He did, however, play the second-most special teams snaps on the team in 2020 with 354. In total, Killebrew started four career games for the Lions.
Outlook: Do the Steelers view Killebrew more as a safety than they do an inside linebacker, or vice versa? While it’s really hard to say for sure prior to training camp getting underway, it might not really matter. First and foremost, Killebrew is a special teams demon, and assuming he makes the 53-man roster, his primary role on the team will include him being a core player for coordinator Danny Smith. The hope should be that Killebrew winds up playing very few, or even zero, defensive snaps for the Steelers in 2021. If he’s needed to play meaningful defensive snaps, something has likely gone horribly wrong in terms of injuries on the team. Killebrew very well might be the Steelers’ 2021 leader in special teams tackles, however.
OLB/LS Christian Kuntz — Kuntz, a Duquesne product and former undrafted free agent, has been around the Steelers organization since August of 2019. He has bounced off and on the Steelers’ practice squad several times in the last two seasons, and the team has had him in for multiple visits last season when he wasn’t under contract as a practice squad player, but that might have been COVID testing related. Kuntz has yet to play in an NFL game with the Steelers to date. He’s primarily a long snapper but has logged some preseason snaps as a backup outside linebacker as well.
Outlook: Kuntz is a local player with multiple skillsets who the Steelers like to keep close to the organization for emergency purposes. He does not seem to be a legitimate threat to beat out Kameron Canaday for the starting long snapping job this season as we sit here in July. Realistically, that’s his only path to making the Steelers’ 53-man roster this year. The best-case scenario for Kuntz this summer seems to be practice squad related. If the Steelers are once again allowed to carry a 16-man practice squad once again in 2021, Kuntz might very well find himself on it because of his position flexibility.
CB Justin Layne — Layne, who was originally selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Michigan State, certainly didn’t make a big second-year jump with the team in 2020. In fact, by the end of the 2020 season, Layne seemed to have fallen behind rookie undrafted free agent cornerback James Pierre on the Steelers’ cornerback depth chart. In total last season, Layne played 117 defensive snaps and 261 more on special teams. He ended the season with 22 total tackles and allowed 10 completions for 127 yards and a touchdown on 12 total targets. Unfortunately for Layne, he had some off-the-field issues this past offseason as well that included him being arrested.
Outlook: Layne has a lot to prove this summer with the Steelers as he’s certainly not a lock to make the 53-man roster in his third season with the team. Layne is a decent special teams player, however, so he does have that going for him. It will be interesting to see if he can make a jump in progress in training camp and the preseason and if he can even overtake Pierre on the cornerback depth chart. Layne’s overall competition right now for a spot on the 53-man roster isn’t overly fierce as we sit here a few weeks out from the start of training camp as it mostly includes rookie undrafted free agents and other players with zero NFL game experience.
Previous Posts In Series
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: DeMarkus Acy, Marcus Allen, Tyson Alualu
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Abdullah Anderson, Kalen Ballage, Zach Banner
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Jordan Berry, Chris Boswell, Antoine Brooks Jr.
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Shakur Brown, Isaiah Buggs, Calvin Bundage
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Devin Bush, Rico Bussey, Kameron Canaday
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: T.J. Carter, Demarcus Christmas, Chase Claypool
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Aviante Collins, Rashaad Coward, Anthony Coyle
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Carlos Davis, Stephen Denmark, Joshua Dobbs
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Kevin Dotson, Eric Ebron, Terrell Edmunds
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Trey Edmunds, B.J. Finney, Minkah Fitzpatrick
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Mark Gilbert
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Ulysees Gilbert III, Joe Haden, Joe Haeg
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Najee Harris, Pressley Harvin III, Dwayne Haskins
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Kendrick Green, J.C. Hassenauer, Cameron Heyward
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Alex Highsmith, Anthony Johnson, Buddy Johnson
90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Diontae Johnson, Jamir Jones, Jarron Jones
