Most of the names that made the Pittsburgh Steelers’ initial 53-man roster aren’t surprises. And even the exceptions have explanations, like why the team has two punters (at least, as of this writing – it’s soon to change). The entire healthy drafted rookie class made the roster, the starters well-defined, and depth at most positions established.
If there’s one name that might make Steelers’ fans do a double take, it’s offensive lineman Dylan Cook. Signed in mid-May and entering training camp as a third-string afterthought, he’s the one name to learn about. Cook’s one of the best stories to make the 53 and as a total longshot, truly earned that spot.
In 2017, Cook was far from the NFL’s radar. Heck, he was far from playing on the offensive line. A Butte, Montana native, he stayed local and played for Montana State Northern…as a quarterback. A 6-foot-6, 290-pound quarterback. He didn’t do a lot of it and most of his highlights are him running with the ball – the school had an odd obsession for oversized passers – instead of throwing it.
He transferred schools and positions, walking onto Montana and moving to right tackle. I’d say he bulked up but he was basically at his playing weight. After redshirting for 2018, he became the team’s starter by Week Four of the 2019 season and earned a scholarship. His 2020 season was lost due to the pandemic, but he had a strong 2021 season on and off the field and was a semifinalist for the “Academic Heisman” award.
Given his lack of experience and small-school credentials, Cook predictably went undrafted in 2022. But his Pro Day workout highlighted his athleticism, as he ran a 5.09 40 and jumped 31 inches in the vertical, earning him a shot in the NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him to a rookie deal. Most prospects spend the entire draft weekend at home glued to the couch, hoping to hear their name. Not Cook. He spent the first two nights working his job at Walmart before getting Saturday off to watch the final day when his agent called to say, “Hey, pack your bags. You’re going to the show.”
The story via Kyle Hansen of Montana Sports.
“It was probably one o’clock and my agent texted me and said the (Tampa Bay) Bucs were interested and he’ll get back to me,” Cook told MTN Sports. “I think it was around the 10th pick of the seventh round he called me and said the deal was done so the draft wasn’t even over yet and I already kind of knew where I was going.
“It was pretty cool. My stomach was turning the whole phone call. He started off with, ‘The deal is done,’ and my stomach just dropped. I was like no way, this is awesome.”
He didn’t make the team out of camp but spent most of his rookie year on the practice squad, signing a futures contract after the Buccaneers’ season ended. But he was waived by the team shortly after rookie minicamp when Pittsburgh picked him up during its spring ball.
Coming into camp, Cook was an extreme underdog to make the 53. We mentioned him as a potential camp sleeper but still didn’t entertain the odds of him making a push for the main roster. Through the first two weeks of camp, those odds didn’t seem like they were shifting. But the Friday Night Lights practice, with a record crowd of nearly 14,000 watching, Cook had a solid practice. He pulled from his right tackle spot to open lanes in the run game. He showed his quick feet in pass protection in 1v1s. In our post-practice recap, we offered our first blurb on him.
“– Impressed by the reps I saw from OT Dylan Cook today. First time I’ve had positive notes on him. Good reps in run and pass game.”
Three days later, we mentioned him again and noted he looked like a solid bet for the practice squad, along with WR Dez Fitzpatrick, who also emerged throughout the summer.
“– OT Dylan Cook is practice squad material. Like his athleticism and feet. Ditto with WR Dez Fitzpatrick, a good athlete who can change directions.”
The final day of camp showed Cook was moving up the ranks. He ran second-team right tackle, supplanting veteran Le’Raven Clark. And with the team not having OGs Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo that day, Cook saw reps at left guard, too. He was named runner up for “camp darling” of our training camp awards behind S Kenny Robinson. And Cook finished the summer on a higher note.
Practice is one thing. Game action is what it takes to stick to the 53, and he flashed there. He stayed square in pass protection, mirrored rushes well, and while his length is only average (33 1/2-inch arms), he uses his hands well with a good punch. Cook also has a snatch and trap technique to knock defender’s hands down and send them into the ground. On Aug, 14, we broke down his debut performance against Tampa Bay, noting an overall solid performance. He showed it in pass protection (No. 60, the right tackle).
And he flashed his burst in the run game with this great backside cutoff.
That steady play continued and if anything he got better, especially as a run blocker and people mover. In the finale against the Falcons, the team started Cook at left guard. Despite his newness to the position, he looked comfortable and right at home in Pat Meyer’s scheme.
After the game, Dave Bryan correctly noted Cook’s real odds of making the 53. He was included in both of our offensive line projections and he officially made the initial 53 yesterday. He was kept in part because his play deserved it. He made the 53-man roster. But there’s the reality that talented, versatile, and young (and cheap) offensive linemen are treated like gold by the NFL. Every team is looking for offensive line help; it’s the most underdeveloped position in the college game, making good players scarce at the NFL level to face pass rushers who are getting freakier and freakier. Had Cook been waived, odds are high he would’ve been claimed by a team in desperate need for a developmental guy like him.
Based on the Steelers’ current roster construction, Cook probably won’t dress in Week One. Pittsburgh will dress eight with five consisting of its starters – Dan Moore Jr., Isaac Seumalo, Mason Cole, James Daniels, and Chukwuma Okorafor – while Broderick Jones and Nate Herbig are locks to be the team’s top backups. The final spot comes down to Cook versus rookie Spencer Anderson. Anderson is a bit more versatile and has more time along the interior and likely to get the final hat.
Still, Cook is one injury away from getting a helmet, pushing him one step closer to logging his first NFL snaps. This summer, he climbed a mountain. Now, he gets to enjoy the view. Dylan Cook, you’re officially a Pittsburgh Steeler.
