With the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason slate now over after their 24-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons last night, attention now shifts over to roster cuts. With the Steelers needing to cut their 90-man roster down to 53 by Tuesday at 4 p.m., the coaching staff and front office will be hard at work determining who will be with the Steelers when they take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 10. While we have an idea on who most of the 53 will be, there are still some spots that could go either way. Here are three names who might surprise and earn their way on the team’s final roster.
WR Gunner Olszewski
Olszewski made the 53 last season as the team’s primary kick and punt returner, a role he lost after Week Four with two muffed punts early in the season. As a receiver, Olszewski didn’t contribute much, with five receptions for 53 yards and eight carries for 39 yards. With Miles Boykin a key special teamer and Calvin Austin III coming back from injury, plus the addition of Allen Robinson II, Olszewski looks like the potential odd man out.
He’s gotten a lot of praise from the quarterbacks though, and that means something. If the guys throwing him the ball like what he’s done, that’s going to increase his chances of sticking on the roster. He’s been reliable throughout the preseason, pulling in seven receptions for 63 yards across three games.
He led the Steelers with five receptions for 41 yards against the Buffalo Bills in the team’s second preseason game. Last night, he also drew a long pass interference penalty that set the Steelers up at the Falcons’ 5-yard line and led to a touchdown run by RB Anthony McFarland Jr. He’s also served on kick and punt coverage teams during the preseason, in addition to getting opportunities returning punts.
There’s also the question of who Pittsburgh’s kick returner is going to be. Austin has excelled returning punts, he hasn’t returned a kick yet in the preseason, with that role going to McFarland in each of the last two games.
But it’s not necessarily McFarland’s forte, and while it makes sense to try him there to give him a role outside of being the team’s No. 3 running back, he’s probably not the best man for the job. Olszewski has the most experience, with 39 career kick returns, although he did only return three for the Steelers last season and has yet to return one during the preseason. But from the experience standpoint, Olszewski knows how to do it and could be a reliable option for the team early in the season.
He’s not going to take a roster spot from another receiver, but if there’s a surprise cut at tight end (Zach Gentry?) or the Steelers only keeps two running backs, they could conceivably keep a sixth receiver in Olszewski and also have him be an option in the return game. There’s definitely a path where he can make the roster.
S Kenny Robinson
A camp darling with three interceptions, Robinson made a splash play last night by recovering a fumble with Atlanta threatening to score. He also had four solo tackles, giving him 10 tackles through three preseason games. He’s also got some pedigree, coming into the league as a fifth-round pick in 2020.
The Steelers’ safety depth behind Minkah Fitzpatrick, Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal isn’t anything special. Tre Norwood missed two preseason games due to injury, and while CB Elijah Riley is capable of playing safety, he’s not a roster lock either. At this point, the Steelers know what they have in Norwood. Robinson is a little bit more of an unknown, but if the team likes the ball skills he showed in camp and like that he’s not a guy who’s afraid to stick his head in the fan a little bit, he could steal a role as a true depth safety.
Miles Killebrew will make the roster as a core special teamer, so the question becomes whether Pittsburgh really intends to keep five guys capable of playing safety, assuming Riley does make the roster (which looks increasingly likely).
While Robinson’s most likely path involves heading to the practice squad, if the Steelers were impressed enough with his splash in camp and play in their three preseason games, he could steal a spot on the final 53.
OL Dylan Cook
This name is probably the least surprising at this point, which would’ve been a little bit shocking at the start of camp. Cook ascended to the second-team offensive line, surpassing OT Le’Raven Clark ahead of the Steelers’ second preseason game against the Bills. Cook also got reps at left guard last night, and positional versatility is never a bad thing in an offensive lineman.
The former college quarterback has been really impressive since the Steelers’ preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he’s made a case to stick on the roster ahead of the veteran Clark. With OG Kevin Dotson’s future in Pittsburgh up in the air — the team could look to trade him — Cook’s place on the roster could be further cemented.
While he’d likely be a gameday inactive, the fact that he’s capable of playing both tackle spots and has gotten looks at guard in both practice and game settings really helps his case. Having young, athletic tackles who you can grow and develop is never a bad thing. While Cook’s role this year would be limited, he’s a player Pittsburgh should look to keep and see if he can become something down the line.
The offensive line room has a lot of pieces that need to be determined before it can fully shake out, and Pittsburgh could risk sending Cook to the practice squad. Tuesday is likely going to be a long day for him as the Steelers decide what to do on the offensive line, but he’s certainly someone who it would be nice to see make the final roster.
