The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 offseason practices concluded in the middle of June. Next up is the team’s annual training camp, which gets underway in the latter part of July at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Ahead of Steelers training camp, we will preview the team’s offseason roster three players at a time as part of a multi-post series. This Steelers roster preview, which includes outlooks for every player, will be done alphabetically by last name to make it easy to follow. This series figures to exceed 90 players this year as the team can carry 91 players in total during the offseason due to the allowance of one international player designation.
The next set of three players we will preview ahead of the Steelers 2024 training camp are Jack Colletto, Dylan Cook, and Jacob Copeland.
FB Jack Colletto: The Steelers signed Colletto to a Reserve/Futures contract in January after he ended the 2023 season on the team’s practice squad. Colletto entered the league in 2023 as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers as an Oregon State product. After playing for the 49ers during the preseason, Colletto wound up being signed to their practice squad, and he remained on that unit until early October.
In college, Colletto played quarterback, linebacker, and eventually fullback, and he won the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football in 2022. During the 2023 pre-draft process, Colletto didn’t test like a fullback, running a 4.85-second 40-yard dash at nearly 240 pounds. He also registered a 36.5-inch vertical jump and a 9’10” broad jump and did 17 reps on the bench press at his pro day.
Outlook: With Arthur Smith now installed as the Steelers’ new offensive coordinator, we could see more fullback usage in 2024. If a true fullback is ultimately kept on the initial 53-man roster to start the regular season, Colletto figures to have a shot at such a spot. He obviously will need to prove his worth on special teams in training camp and the preseason to help his cause.
Should Colletto ultimately not make the initial 53-man roster after the 2024 preseason ends, he very well could find himself staying in Pittsburgh as a practice squad member. In closing, Colletto will be a fun player to track once the Steelers start their annual training camp in Latrobe.
OT Dylan Cook: Last season, Cook surprised quite a few people as he made the Steelers-53-man roster to start the season. He did so by playing well during the preseason and exhibiting some position flexibility in the process by playing snaps at both tackle spots and some at left guard. While Cook stayed on the 53-man roster throughout the 2023 season, he was only active for one game, and that was the one OT Dan Moore Jr. missed due to injury.
However, Cook failed to see any playing time in that one contest he dressed for, so he has yet to play any NFL snaps since entering the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Montana.
Outlook: The fact that Cook stuck on the Steelers’ 53-man roster all of last season speaks volumes as he heads into his second training camp with the team. On top of that, the Steelers could stand to carry an extra versatile tackle again this year to back up Moore, Broderick Jones, and rookie Troy Fautanu.
The fact that Cook can play guard in a pinch could also help his summer cause. While Cook is far from being considered a lock to make the Steelers’ 53-man roster again this year, one must really like his chances, especially if he can build on what he put on tape for the team during the 2023 preseason.
WR Jacob Copeland: The Steelers just signed Copeland to their offseason roster but even so, it’s not his first time being with the team. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland via Florida by the Tennessee Titans in 2023, Copeland spent two separate short stints on the Steelers’ practice squad last season. After the 2023 season ended, the Kanas City Chiefs signed Copeland to a Reserve/Futures contract. They waived him in early May, however.
In his five college seasons, Copeland registered 112 receptions for 1,742 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also recorded nine rushing attempts for 64 yards in addition to returning 10 kickoffs for 171 yards. Since entering the NFL, however, Copland has yet to appear in any games outside of preseason action.
Outlook: Even though the Steelers’ overall wide receiver depth chart isn’t all that intimidating ahead of training camp getting underway, Copeland will still have an extremely tough time this summer when it comes to him possibly making the 53-man roster. Several wide receivers ahead of Copeland on the team’s depth chart have NFL experience so in reality, he will be battling for a practice squad in the coming months.
It’s imperative that Copeland stays healthy once training camp gets underway and it would also behoove him to show some special teams ability as well. Merely staying on the offseason roster throughout training camp and the preseason would be a huge accomplishment for Copeland in and of itself.
Previous Posts In This Series:
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Montravius Adams, Kyle Allen, Spencer Anderson
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Grayland Arnold, Calvin Austin III, Anthony Averett
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Kalon Barnes, Tyler Beach, Keeanu Benton
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Beanie Bishop Jr., Chris Boswell, Marquez Callaway
