The Steelers are now in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College for the 2023 installment of training camp. They are coming off of a 9-8 season during which they broke in their new quarterback, Kenny Pickett, finishing the year strong by winning seven of their last nine but coming up short of the postseason.
They’ve done a great deal to address what they identified as their shortcomings during the offseason, which included addressing the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary and the inside linebacker room, which is nearly entirely different from last year.
From the first day of training camp to the last, there are going to be plenty of questions that need answered, including several battles for starting roles. Which veterans might be vulnerable to release? Who are the sleepers who will emerge in camp and make a run at a roster spot? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout the season, as we have for many years.
Question: Has Pressley Harvin III (essentially) already won the punting competition?
The Steelers added veteran punter Braden Mann off waivers earlier this offseason to provide competition for Pressley Harvin III, their former draft pick entering his third season. Mann entered the league a year earlier, and arguably had shown slightly more consistency over the past two years.
If training camp reports are anything to go by, however, Harvin has pretty clearly been the better punter. Mann did his job in the first preseason game, averaging 45.7 yards per punt on six punts, two inside the 20-yard line, however.
Widely panned during his rookie season for his inconsistency, Harvin worked credibly in that area and improved in 2022. He is still more prone to the occasional mishit than one might care for, or so it sounds, yet he has continually improved upon the quality of his average punt.
One would imagine that he will spend some time kicking over the course of the final two preseason games, but I get the sense that this was always Harvin’s job to lose, and he has given no indications of losing it.
So the question is, has Harvin already won the punting competition simply by essentially holding serve against his challenger, performing up to par? Was he merely supposed to feel the pressure of competition to make sure that he continues to strive or improvement?
Of course, with two games left to play, there is the possibility that he suddenly bottoms out when it matters most and then the Steelers have a decision to make. I can hardly imagine that it would come to that, but nevertheless it is a possibility to consider.
With the high degree of likelihood that both K Chris Boswell and LS Christian Kuntz also retain their positions—it doesn’t seem as though Rex Sunahara is in any way distinguishing himself at long snapper—it would only further support the logic of retaining Harvin as part of the stability of that all-important kicking procedure. He has proven to be a reliable holder.
