For the rest of the preseason, we’ll give a recap, position-by-position, player-by-player of what I saw during the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and preseason games. This list is based off the 16 public camp practices and the preseason games I’ve watched up until this point and is based solely off their performance then and does not necessarily represent my feelings for the players overall or during the regular season.
I know camp is long over and the Steelers’ roster is down to 53. But I wanted to quickly hit on the two position groups I didn’t yet get to write about: linebackers and secondary. I’ll offer a quick run through on those names now to have something written down on the record and for the future. Never know when you’ll need it down the road.
Linebackers
TJ Watt: Another strong camp, as always. No one could cut him and he dominated the line of scrimmage, batting down pass after pass. Chukwuma Okorafor sparred with him in OL/DL but Watt was a constant threat off the edge in team sessions. He’s an incredibly hard worker and one of the game’s best players.
Camp Grade: A
Robert Spillane: I’ve dubbed Spillane the new Anthony Chickillo. Fantastic camps year-after-year but ones we know won’t fully translate to regular season action. Spillane was everywhere this summer, run and pass game. He had great 1v1 battles with Benny Snell in coverage drills, he picked off two passes in team sessions, and he blew up more run plays than I can count. He still lacks long speed and can’t turn and run in coverage effectively but the Steelers like him and there’s a reason why he saw plenty of starter snaps this summer, rotating with Devin Bush and Myles Jack. Spillane will enter the year as the #3 but he could carve out a run-down role relatively early into the season.
Camp Grade: A
Mark Robinson: One of camp’s most talked about players, the baseline traits are there with Robinson to be the Steelers next thumping linebacker. His quick see-to-do, his downhill nature, and his physicality – oh boy does he love to hit. He also displayed short-area quickness and change of direction ability in camp to make plays in 1v1 drills. What’s most impressive is he plays under control. He’s not out of his gap or running around without a plan. That controlled aggression for how young he is is unique. In coverage, Robinson is competitive at the catch point and knows how to finish, though his success inside stadiums were a different story. When targeted, Robinson allowed five catches on six targets for 56 yards and a touchdown. His play on special teams was a little shaky early but he ended on a quality note with a big stick on kick coverage in the finale against Detroit.
Overall, Robinson’s future is promising though a lack of long speed and top-end coverage ability will be limiting. While many are itching him to play right away, he’s still a rookie who played one year of linebacker in college. Take it slow with him. He’ll get there but it won’t be by Week Three.
Camp Grade: A-
Myles Jack: Really nice summer for him, Jack is shaping up to be the team’s best off-ball linebacker since Ryan Shazier. Granted, he’s still a far cry from Shazier but Jack is a solid linebacker in all phases. He’s physical and can run in man coverage. He gets off blocks, he does his job, he’s not overaggressive, and he’s proven to be a three-down linebacker, though Pittsburgh rotated its top three guys (him, Devin Bush, and Robert Spillane) and switched out all of them in dime packages. Still, Jack is this team’s best and most well-rounded player and a strong addition by the team.
Camp Grade: B+
Genard Avery: Seemingly poised to be the team’s #3 OLB, Avery was released as the Steelers trimmed their roster from 85 to 80. A good ball of energy with a quick first step, Avery played well but also a bit too out of control for the Steelers’ structured system. He also missed about a week with a groin injury. His camp wasn’t bad. He just wasn’t a good fit.
Camp Grade: B+
Delontae Scott: Looking at things in a vacuum, a solid and underrated summer. He was consistent throughout camp, making as many plays in the run game as a pass rusher. He set the edge, worked off blocks, and had solid days of practice. Not just one but multiple where he was impactful, including batting balls down at the line of scrimmage. He had trouble translating that to in-stadium play. Scott picked up a sack but it was a low-quality one and he was also called for roughing the passer, too. His special teams impact was limited and as of now, he isn’t even on the team’s practice squad.
Camp Grade: B
Derrek Tuszka: A limited get-off but active hands and good effort, Tuszka’s ceiling in the NFL is already pretty maxed out. He plays the run well and gets off blocks and is a decent special teamer but he was best suited as the team’s #4, not #3, as evident by the team trading for Malik Reed. Tuszka was waived and swapped for Jamir Jones once he became available. The Titans claimed Tuszka yesterday.
Camp Grade: B-
Devin Bush: It’s easy to bag on Bush and no doubt, his camp was far from great. I’d call it on the low-side of average. He wasn’t terrible and there’s a point where he’s blamed for everything, I’m convinced Mitch Trubisky will throw a pick Week One and it’ll be Bush’s fault, but Bush’s play this summer left me wanting more. He especially struggled in 1v1 coverage drills, a situation heavily favored for the offense but one where essentially all the other linebackers at least made a play. A breakup, an interception, at least closely contest a play. Bush really never did. His in-stadium work was ok, not terrible, but at this point, it’s a win if Bush simply just does his job. He’ll enter the season as the Week One starter but Robert Spillane could eat into his snap count and role a quarter of the way into the season.
Camp Grade: C+
Ron’Dell Carter: Good size and a bit of NFL experience, his first day was his best one, looking good against rookie OT Jordan Tucker in OL/DL work. Things got quieter from there. His all-around game was inoffensive but he never made a serious push for a roster spot despite there being clear opportunity at OLB.
Camp Grade: C
James Vaughters: One of several EDGE rushers brought in during camp, Vaughters was one of the more veteran players brought in, now 29 years old, but his play wasn’t that impressive. He had size but average to below athleticism and didn’t make an impact on special teams. Very forgettable.
Camp Grade: D+
Buddy Johnson: Usually a player’s second summer is where you see players make a noticeable jump. Johnson wasn’t one of those guys. He’s a good tackler, I’ll give him that. Dude doesn’t miss many and he wraps up runners to the ground. Johnson also chipped in a pair of special teams tackles, tied for most on the squad. But beyond that, his play was underwhelming. A step slow to everything is how I’d phrase things his game. Run game, pass game, he just didn’t process quickly enough and didn’t make many plays other than wrapping up the receiver/runner downfield. While he had two special teams tackles, his actual play there didn’t standout. Mark Robinson easily outplayed him and Marcus Allen’s special teams value won out over him. I’m not surprised Johnson wasn’t even signed to the team’s practice squad.
Camp Grade: D+
Marcus Allen: Allen suffered a hamstring injury early in camp and had a prolonged absence, never making it back to a game. He saw individual work near the very end of camp and seems to be on track for Week One but there’s not much of a camp evaluation here. His wallet has sure been impacted, him and his $2.5 million salary waived with him re-signing after players went to IR. We don’t know specifics of his new contract but it’s probably only about half what he was scheduled to make. Incomplete linebacker grade but he gets an A+ for being a highly effective team DJ during stretch line, a job he held with pride and passion.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Alex Highsmith: His camp was off to a decent start before suffering a rib injury during the Monday Afternoon Lights practice, shelving him for the rest of the summer. Highsmith battled Dan Moore Jr. well and his inside spin is an impressive and potent counter to his speed/ghost moves. But we didn’t get to learn as much about him as I would like, especially since most of his practices came without pads.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Tyree Johnson: One of two UDFAs brought in after this year’s draft, Johnson was the first player waived this camp, waived for WR Javon McKinley on August 1st. His short time with the team was in shells and hard to learn much from. Truly an incomplete grade.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
T.D. Moultry: Signed as an UDFA out of Auburn, Moultry had a big and powerful lower half that led to him looking explosive off the ball. He looked like someone who could make an impact in-game but we never got to find out, Moultry landing on IR a little over a week into camp. He was waived with an injury settlement on August 17th.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Defensive Backs
Cam Sutton: A nice and pretty underrated camp for Sutton, who always seems to battles the new receivers early. Chase Claypool in 2020 and George Pickens in 2020. Sutton isn’t the biggest dude but plays with good technique and finds the ball in the air. His tackling’s improved and he’s been more versatile this season than last thanks to a stronger overall CB room, seeing slot work and some rotational safety snaps to get Minkah Fitzpatrick off his FS spot. He was a lockdown preseason corner, allowing just two catches on eight targets. Sutton isn’t a high-end #1 corner but a good #2 who has improved and will wear lots of hats for this team. I still like him better in the slot than the outside and that’s where he’ll play on passing downs. In base, he’ll be the RCB opposite Ahkello Witherspoon.
Camp Grade: B+
Minkah Fitzpatrick: He began camp on NFI after falling off his bike during the offseason, injuring his right wrist. Took him about a week to get cleared but he made his presence in a big way with a big stick during a goal line session in the Monday Afternoon Lights practice. Fitzpatrick felt a bit stuck last year, not able to rotate and lurk as much as you’d like, and the increased talent and experience in the secondary should open him up more. So will better run defense. Fitzpatrick should get back to his turnover ways in 2022.
Camp Grade: B+
Tre Norwood: A player I’m high on as he enters his second regular season. Norwood’s taken a jump in Year Two, looking more comfortable and physical. A versatile piece who can play slot corner, free safety, or work in dime packages, his flexibility offers a lot of value in the team’s sub-packages. He allowed just a 40% completion percentage when targeted this preseason. A good man cover corner with plus ball skills, his career arc and progression is very similar to Sutton’s. A nice came for Norwood and quality 6th DB to come onto the field.
Camp Grade: B+
Damontae Kazee: I wasn’t sure what to make of Kazee heading into this summer and doubted how well he’d play. But he proved me wrong and was one of the better stories of camp. Undersized but packing a mighty punch, Kazee is the same dude I watched at the Senior Bowl coming out of San Diego State. Absolutely fearless. He played the run hard and had some monster collisions, including welcoming Calvin Austin to the NFL with a blowup hit on a RPO slant. Kazee shoots low as a tackler and he’s prone to missing but when he gets around the waist/knees, he can take down players twice his size. He made a couple of quality sticks on tight ends, including a fourth down stop of Jags’ TE Evan Engram. Kazee was finding a home in Pittsburgh playing closer to the line of scrimmage and seeing work in three-safety packages. A freak wrist injury in the finale is forcing him to start the year on IR. He should be back around Halloween.
Camp Grade: B+
Ahkello Witherspoon: Consistency is key for Witherspoon and while the regular season is the real test, he did well over the course of the summer. George Pickens got him a couple times but Pickens got everyone. That wasn’t isolated to Witherspoon. Witherspoon is long and finds the ball well and won his matchups against Pickens – they just didn’t get talked about as much. His tackling and physicality is still his weak point but improved this summer and he was willing to throw his body around. He’ll be an everydown corner on the left side and can hopefully be the Steelers’ top cover corner. They need him to be.
Camp Grade: B+
James Pierre: Best of times, worst of times. Pierre is still very much an up-and-down player, a gambler who made more diving attempts for interceptions/breakups than any other player on this roster. When it worked, he made some great plays, like a diving interception on Kenny Pickett’s sideline throw. When it failed, he gave up some big plays. Pierre has size and runs better in pads than how he tested. In-game, he allowed just one catch on five targets.
He had an impactful summer and is still fairly young without a ton of playing time so his game can still grow. He worked well as a gunner and should be a starter there opposite Miles Boykin. His game has to go to another level but the potential is still there and Pittsburgh’s still hanging on.
Camp Grade: B
Karl Joseph: Another safety showing promise derailed by injury. Joseph looked comfortable with a full offseason in Pittsburgh and was banging around against the run with some big hits. He also showed his versatility by playing slot corner and strong safety. Joseph was lost for the season on literally the first play of the preseason, suffering an ankle injury as a blocker on the kick return unit. He was placed on IR shortly after. Just terrible luck for a guy seriously pushing for a roster spot and would’ve had a role after Kazee’s injury.
Camp Grade: B
Arthur Maulet: A physical slot corner, Maulet is very much a niche player in this secondary. An early-down (I’m hesitant to say “run down” like Mike Tomlin does given all the passing in today’s NFL) slot corner for his run defense and blitzing, Maulet is a pesky player always flying around backfields. Better in zone than man, Maulet gets into trouble when he has to turn and run and play man coverage. He suffered a hamstring injury the next-to-last day of camp and didn’t work the rest of the summer. We’ll see if he can get healthy for Week One. Even if he does, his snap count will be relatively small.
Camp Grade: B-
Levi Wallace: Wallace’s start to his Steelers’ career got off to a bumpy start, in and out of the lineup due to an undisclosed illness. He began the summer in a rotation as first-team outside corner, rotating with Cam Sutton and Ahkello Witherspoon very similar to the Jack/Bush/Spillane rotation at ILB. Wallace got Moss’d by Pickens at times in camp, including back-to-back plays during a two-minute drill but Wallace ended the summer better than how he started, playing well in the finale against the Lions. It seems like he’ll be a sub-package player to begin the year but should work well in that role.
Camp Grade: B-
Terrell Edmunds: Edmunds is habitually one of the quietest players in my camp notes. Safeties are generally less active because they’re so far removed from the play but Edmunds’ name is Haley’s comet in my daily diaries. He perked up a but towards the end and his run defense was solid, still his good box safety self, but the plays in coverage were far and few between. He was targeted twice during the preseason, allowing one grab.
Camp Grade: B-
Justin Layne: Time’s up on Justin Layne. He made a couple plays early in camp, battling James Pierre for a spot, but he soon faded. Mid-way through camp, he began running behind the likes of rookie Chris Steele and futures contact Linden Stephens. That was writing on the wall. He’s still a competent gunner and played well in the finale but it was too little, too late. Pierre has more defensive value and thus, more upside. He got the last spot.
Camp Grade: C+
Carlins Platel: Versatile inside/outside corner who worked in dime packages. Good energy and aggression but was an inconsistent tackler who got a little lucky in coverage, especially in the finale. Still, he was showing enough value to stick on the practice squad but suffered a knee injury in the waning minutes of the third game against Detroit. He’s now reverted to IR.
Camp Grade: C+
Chris Steele: Undrafted and bringing some level of intrigue, I never saw it with Steele. Some decent ballskills but his hips were tight and he lacked long speed. An outside corner who played emergency slot over the final few snaps of the preseason finale. His tackling was also underwhelming and he got run through by Jags’ QB C.J. Beathard for a touchdown in the second showing. He wasn’t worth keeping around and he’s not on the Steelers’ practice squad.
Camp Grade: C-
Donovan Stiner: One of my top camp sleepers, I end the summer looking the fool. Stiner never made the jump and never got into contention for a roster spot. While he’s built well and can be a good tackler, he missed far too many and looked especially poor in the run game against Jacksonville, left unblocked and still unable to make plays. He plays like a bigger linebacker at safety that didn’t offer much more. He was released for Elijah Riley heading into the finale.
Camp Grade: C-
Linden Stephens: An extremely tight-hipped corner, he’s better off playing safety and in fact picked up a couple snaps there when the lines got thin during camp. But he lacks any speed and his most notable play was getting burned by WR Calvin Austin III for a 76-yard touchdown during one team session. Very meh.
Camp Grade: D
Miles Killebrew: A weird summer for Killebrew who suffered some sort of pec injury the first day of camp. It wasn’t season-ending but he spent the rest of camp shuffling between practicing or not. Sometimes he’d sit out, sometimes he’d work individually, some days he’d work full. He didn’t play in any of the preseason games but seems to be getting healthy for Week One as a core special teamer. But his summer offered nothing for us to evaluate.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Previous Camp Grades
Quarterback Grades
Running Back Grades
Tight End Grades
Wide Receiver Grades
Offensive Tackle Grades
Inteior Offensive Line Grades
Defensive Line Grades
