With Pittsburgh Steelers training camp starting this week, we should at least get some answers to a lot of the questions that surround the 2023 Steelers and how they’ll open up the season. With a lot of question marks on offense, here are five things we want to find out about Pittsburgh’s offense by the end of training camp.
Who is the team’s RB3?
We know that Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are the team’s two main running backs, but at this point the race for the RB3 job is wide open. Anthony McFarland Jr., Jason Huntley and rookies Alonzo Graham and Darius Hagans are currently in competition, and while McFarland has the most experience, his work on special teams thus far has been lackluster.
That opens up the door for one of Graham, Hagans or Huntley to stake their claim to the job. Huntley and McFarland both have NFL return experience, but outside of their 11 combined kick returns, neither has extensive special teams experience. Benny Snell Jr. remains a free agent and given his work on special teams I think he still has an outside shot of a reunion with the team if the Steelers aren’t happy with what’s currently on the roster.
But by the end of camp, we’ll know who deserves the job and who wins it. It’s one of the more underrated position battles given just how important Snell was to the special teams unit, and Graham and Hagans are exciting players to watch. It’ll be interesting to see if the Steelers go with familiarity in the form of McFarland or even Huntley, who spent much of last season on the practice squad, or if they take a flier on one of the rookies.
Will Broderick Jones Supplant Dan Moore Jr. at Left Tackle?
This is probably the biggest question surrounding Pittsburgh’s offense. The team traded up to select Broderick Jones as the left tackle of the future. The only question is whether the future starts in 2023 or 2024.
Jones is raw, particularly in pass blocking, with his technique on pass sets being one of his biggest weaknesses. But he could be an instant impact contributor in the run game with his size and athleticism and ability to move. Working with Pat Meyer should help Jones refine his technique, but it’s not going to be easy to beat out Moore, who has shown a lot of growth since being selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
If Jones can’t win the job, his role for 2023 is uncertain. He likely won’t slide in as the team’s swing tackle since he hasn’t gotten a lot of work in on the right side, so not winning the starting job could lead to him becoming a gameday inactive early in the season.
I do think that Jones ultimately does beat out Moore, but there’s a very real chance he doesn’t. It’s going to be the Steelers’ most highlighted position battle.
What’s Darnell Washington’s Impact Going To Be?
Washington was the team’s third-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after falling down the board due to medical concerns. Washington was Georgia’s secondary tight end option behind Brock Bowers, but his run-blocking made him an exciting choice for Pittsburgh.
But Washington is still so raw as a pass-catcher and he’s going to have to show he can do enough as a blocker to surpass Zach Gentry on the depth chart. Connor Heyward could serve some sort of role as well, although he’s likely to function as the H-back and could line up more in the backfield.
Still, there’s a lot of competition for Washington, and with how raw he is he’s going to have to prove to the coaching staff he can make an impact in Week One to get himself a helmet on game days. Washington has a ton of upside, but his impact during his rookie season could be minimal.
Of course, Washington could also go out and impress and become a key run blocker for a team that wants to lean on the run. By the end of training camp, we should learn what sort of early-season role he’ll have.
How Much Will Calvin Austin III See The Field?
Austin’s expected to work in the slot with Allen Robinson II, and after missing his entire rookie season there’s a lot of excitement about Austin could bring to the offense. But with Robinson likely the starter in the slot, it begs the question how much Austin will see the field.
Pittsburgh will obviously rotate the two of them, but just how much is something I want to find out by the end of camp. It could be a 50-50 split, or it could be more of a 60-40 or 65-35 split in Robinson’s favor. Robinson dealt with an injury and wasn’t great last season, but if he shows signs of a bounce back, he could cause Austin to lose some snaps in the slot.
Austin’s going to have to work hard to cut into Robinson’s snap total, but I’m pretty confident in him making an impact this year. Speed kills, and Austin has speed in droves. I think he could help Pittsburgh out with its explosive-plays problem. Both Robinson and Austin should be big additions to Pittsburgh’s passing offense, which needs to show improvement over last year.
Who Will Be The Backup Center?
Kendrick Green, Ryan McCollum and Spencer Anderson are all competing to be the guy behind Mason Cole.
Green was Pittsburgh’s starting center in 2021, which was a disaster, before moving to guard last year when he didn’t play a regular-season snap. Anderson is a versatile piece out of Maryland that the team selected in the seventh round in the 2023 NFL Draft, while McCollum spent most of last year on the practice squad but has NFL experience with the Detroit Lions.
It’s an unsettled spot, and if something were to happen to Cole to cause him to miss time, the lack of solid options at center are certainly troubling. One other option could be Nate Herbig, who has 49 career snaps at center and is the best pure offensive lineman out of the group of guys who could be in line for the role.
It’s another underrated position battle and one that could have major implications if Cole has to miss time.
