Spencer Anderson, one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ two seventh-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, earned a spot on the team’s 53-man roster with his versatility and strong preseason. Anderson knows that his spot isn’t guaranteed though, and he talked to reporters today about the need to keep working.
“When I got here Day One, I always thought I was gonna make the team. That was just a goal of mine,” Anderson said via Chris Adamski of TribLive. “Tried my hardest, got the results that I wanted, but the work still continues. We all know the 53 is fluid. As long as I’m doing what I need to do, I feel like I give myself a good shot.”
There was a lot of competition for the final roster spots on Pittsburgh’s offensive line, but Anderson played snaps at every position along the offensive line except for left tackle in the preseason and showcased strong pass-blocking ability. Anderson graded out with an 84.0 pass-blocking grade per Pro Football Focus in 109 snaps across Pittsburgh’s three preseason contests.
The Steelers have been looking to upgrade at every opportunity across the roster throughout the offseason and preseason though, so Anderson knows if he can’t keep up the same level of play, he could easily be replaced. It’s a good attitude to have, but Anderson looks good for a late-round rookie, and he’s someone who could have a role similar to the one Chris Hubbard had with the Steelers.
If everything goes well, Anderson likely won’t see the field much as a rookie. But that’s also a testament to the team’s offensive line depth, which improved this offseason thanks to the additions of Anderson, Nate Herbig, Broderick Jones and Dylan Cook, another guy who showed a lot this preseason. Herbig and Cook will likely be ahead of Anderson at guard and tackle, respectively, on the depth chart, so that makes 2023 a year for Anderson to learn and develop.
Anderson is looking to prove himself to be a good value pick by general manager Omar Khan, and obviously keeping his spot on the roster is the first way to do that. But as Anderson said, as long he keeps doing what he’s been doing and performing the way he did over the past month, he’ll be just fine. He could end up being a really nice depth along Pittsburgh’s offensive line, and I’m excited to watch him take advantage of his shot on the 53-man roster.
