With the Steelers about to take the field for their first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday, the players are finally going to be able to go against competition from another team inside a stadium. Pittsburgh has been scrimmaging against one another the last couple of weeks, having several players stand out from the crowd outside of the household names on the roster.
On the most recent edition of the All Things Covered podcast which aired on YouTube, show host Bryant McFadden asked Steelers CB Patrick Peterson who his offensive and defensive standouts were up to this point in training camp.
“I’m going to go Calvin Austin on offense. I feel like he’s been showing up lately,” Peterson said on All Things Covered. “He definitely looks like he’s the fastest player on the team.”
Austin is a logical choice for Peterson’s offensive standout as the second-year receiver out of Memphis has come on strong after a relatively slow start to camp. According to Alex Kozora’s training camp stats, Austin has caught 11-of-19 targets for 252 yards and three TDs, having a 57.9 percent catch rate through 10 training camp practices. The exciting thing is that Austin has been doing it from all quadrants of the field, catch short, intermediate, and deep passes as the explosive, big-play threat that Pittsburgh desperately needs to spark its offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, Peterson chose a name that doesn’t get a lot of recognition from the outside but has quietly put together a strong training camp.
“My guy, I’m going to go with [Luq Barcoo]. Just because my guy Luq got his hands on Wilson the last two practices,” Peterson said in reference to Barcoo interceptions. “Had some big moments. I feel like he’s really taking the necessary steps to continue to climb up the ladder. He’s been very coachable. He’s been taking the coaching points that Coach Grady [Brown’s] been giving him and it’s been showcasing on the field. So, he’s been making some plays. He’s been showing up on tape all this week and last week.”
Kozora, in a recent post, highlighted three unheralded players from training camp and wrote that no one has made more plays in the last three practices than Barcoo. He broke up back-to-back passes as well as snagged an interception on Saturday. He did the same thing again on Sunday, recording two pass breakups and another pick. Being a former wide receiver at San Diego State, Barcoo knows how to play the football in the air, finishing with nine interceptions in his final season in college. Those ball skills are flashing in training camp, having a nose for the football as he jumps routes to make splash plays.
That splash will need to transition to the preseason as Barcoo has to show he can do it in a game atmosphere against opposing teams. Still, the injury to CB Cory Trice Jr. has opened the door for Barcoo to have a shot at the 53-man roster. Should he prove himself as a cover man and special teamer, he will have a chance to survive roster cuts while at worst being a likely candidate for Pittsburgh’s practice squad.
