Ladies and gentlemen, the Pittsburgh Steelers will put on uniforms this weekend — sort of. Friday marks the start of the Steelers’ rookie minicamp where the team’s draft class, undrafted free agents and tryout players come together to take their first steps in showing the coaching staff what they can do. So while you won’t see the quarterbacks in Russell Wilson or Justin Fields this weekend, John Rhys Plumlee and Aeneas Dennis will be slinging the ball around.
So what should Steelers fans be keeping an eye on throughout the weekend’s action? Here are some things to watch for.
Where Does Troy Fautanu Line Up?
The general consensus when the Steelers took Troy Fautanu 20th overall was one of glee. He’s just about everything you could want in a Steelers offensive lineman. He’s athletic, technical and a brawler. The question is where does he line up? He played left tackle in college at Washington, but he was not blocking his quarterback’s blindside because QB Michael Penix Jr. is left handed.
Will the Steelers keep Fautanu at left tackle and keep last year’s first-round pick Broderick Jones at right tackle? General manager Omar Khan has already said the long-term plan is for Jones to return to his natural left tackle spot. However, that was before the team drafted Fautanu. Jones won’t be in camp this weekend, but it’ll be our first clue if the team wants to try Fautanu on the right side or not.
So will the Steelers take the time to see how well he can adjust to playing on the other side of the line in a (relatively) low-stakes setting? Where Fautanu plays (and by extension Jones) is arguably the biggest question on the offensive line from here forward.
Can Roman Wilson Play On The Outside In The NFL?
The wide receiver situation is well known in Pittsburgh: George Pickens is the unquestioned No. 1 guy for the Steelers now. Then there’s third-round pick Roman Wilson, but it remains to be seen whether he can play outside in the NFL, or will strictly be a slot receiver. Wilson did say on the Steel Here Podcast that he’ll be working in both positions this weekend.
While Wilson won’t be lining up against Joey Porter Jr., how he fares on the outside against players like Ryan Watts or former Baltimore Ravens CB Anthony Averett (in for a tryout) will give the Steelers some much-needed data early in the process.
Is Ryan Watts A Corner Or Safety (Or Both)?
Speaking of Watts, the Steelers’ sixth-round pick out of Texas is intriguing. He’s a larger prospect, part of the Steelers’ recent trend in corners with general manager Omar Khan at the helm. The Steelers listed him at defensive back, not corner nor safety. They could be banking on him offering versatility due to his combination of size (taller and nearly the same weight at DeShon Elliott) and athleticism.
Where he lines up this weekend (and going forward) will be very interesting. The Steelers play in a division with plenty of big receivers, so big corners are needed. There is always a need for depth across the secondary as last season showed with Patrick Peterson even starting a game at safety. Perhaps Watts will simply line up in the secondary wherever he’s needed, but this weekend will give us the first glimpse into how the Steelers see him going forward.
Final Thoughts
While rookie minicamp isn’t going to offer the same competition and information that training camp will, it’s still an important part of the evaluation process. These three picks have questions that need to be answered, and the Steelers can start gathering quality information this weekend.
Beyond that, the Steelers brought in a number of wide receivers, and we know they have a need at outside receiver opposite George Pickens. If someone can separate themselves (pun fully intended), a contract could be in the wings there.
Also, the Steelers reportedly invited two veteran NFL players in for tryouts this weekend. I mentioned Averett in the Wilson section because he has experience playing outside corner in the NFL. If he has a good showing this weekend, perhaps he will join the group of former Ravens on the roster in training camp to help solidify that position.
Then there’s RB Jonathan Ward. He has less than 30 offensive touches in 42 career NFL games, but has logged 553 career special-teams snaps. He was an incredibly productive running back in college, both running the ball and catching it out of the backfield for Central Michigan. He could be someone to keep an eye on, especially with the Steelers having declined Najee Harris’ fifth-year option.
Regardless of what answers we get over the weekend, we’re getting back to football.
