The Pittsburgh Steelers have a problem with the inside linebacker group following season-ending injuries to Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander in back-to-back weeks. On Sunday, when the team had to adjust on the fly, second year LB Mark Robinson played 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps alongside Elandon Roberts, who is now essentially an every-down player.
The depth is now razor thin in that position group, but the Steelers do have LB Mykal Walker on the practice squad. The expectation seems to be that he will play a large role on this team moving forward. In a report posted on X by Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, Walker said that LB coach Aaron Curry told to prepare him for a bigger role moving forward.
“He (Curry) said, ‘Be ready for all personnel groups,'” Walker said via DeFabo.
Walker was a 2020 fourth-round draft pick out of Fresno State, taken by the Atlanta Falcons. He started 20 of his 49 career games and recorded 107 tackles last season. He also registered two interceptions and a sack in 2022.
He spoke to the media on Monday afternoon via the Steelers’ YouTube channel and talked about the rollercoaster of bouncing around teams throughout this past offseason. The Steelers signed him to their practice squad a little over two weeks ago on Oct. 30th and now it sounds like he will play a big role moving forward.
Alexander and Holcomb were used on most passing downs due to their coverage abilities. Mike Tomlin acknowledged in his Tuesday presser that just because Roberts wasn’t playing on those downs, it doesn’t mean he is deficient, but Robinson remains a bit of a question mark in that phase of the game.
Tomlin also had this to say from his Tuesday presser on the team’s YouTube page.
“Mykal Walker is a guy that played in Atlanta and had a hundred-plus tackles or whatever a year ago in the National Football League. He’s not on our practice squad for development, to be quite honest with you. He’s on our practice squad to learn what to do and to position and ready himself for a moment such as what’s gonna probably transpire this weekend.”
Between Roberts, Robinson, Walker, Tariq Carpenter, and Keanu Neal, it should be interesting to see the division of labor and the different personnel groupings moving forward.
