Player: OLB Kyron Johnson
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Many might not know his name, but Kyron Johnson is a veteran outside linebacker with a real shot to make the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster this year. Dave Bryan included him in his latest roster prediction, and I strongly considered doing so in mine. If the Steelers keep four outside linebackers, you can make a strong argument that he is the favorite.
Did you know that Kyron Johnson logged 101 snaps for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2023 regular season? He even played another 16 snaps in their postseason game—granted all but one of the 117 on special teams. But you know what? That’s how a fourth outside linebacker earns himself a roster spot in the NFL.
I imagine a lot of people are not even aware that Kyron Johnson played in seven games for the Steelers. While he only played one defensive snap, he played 116 snaps on special teams. Granted, he did not record any tackles, and you would kind of hope that he would have.
At the same time, we are talking about the 2024 season and not 2023. And Johnson is off to a good start, having flashed in training camp and then made some plays in the preseason. He recorded three tackles, including one for loss, on Friday, all on defense. While he didn’t register a tackle on special teams, he did his job as required.
The Steelers briefly brought back Markus Golden before he decided to retire, leaving the fourth spot wide open. Johnson is competing with Jeremiah Moon, whom many view as the frontrunner for the job. I personally think Johnson may be the frontrunner—but I’m not convinced yet they will carry four outside linebackers.
If they do, it will be because the fourth outside linebacker made himself indispensable on special teams. Kyron Johnson offers the best opportunity to do that, though Moon can as well. He actually forced a fumble playing against the Steelers last season on special teams, so there’s that.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
