For the rest of the summer, we’ll give a position-by-position, player-by-player recap of what I saw during the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and preseason games. This list is based off the 16 public camp practices and the preseason games I’ve watched to this point. It’s based solely off their performance over that span and does not necessarily represent my feelings for the player over the course of the regular season.
A heads up, I intend on using the full grading scale through these reports. Not just giving players A’s to C’s. It may sound harsh but it’s as honest and fair as I can be.
We’ll finish our grades with a review of the secondary. Just a note these grades were written prior to the Steelers’ preseason finale in Detroit.
Thomas Graham Jr.
Graham was named our camp darling for a strong summer. With Cam Sutton getting safety reps, the door opened for Graham to receive some time, and he made the most of the opportunity. He picked off two passes in camp, each well-earned and contested to rip the ball away from the receiver. He also tipped a third that Anthony Averett picked off. He has plus ball skills and aggressive on the football without being reckless.
Graham was healthy and available, which is more than what can be said about the rest of the slot unit. Grayland Arnold landed on IR while Beanie Bishop Jr. missed about a week with an injury. Primarily, Graham played in the slot but also saw a little bit of time in training camp on the outside, displaying some versatility.
In-game, there were flashes in coverage. His run defense, however, could’ve been stronger. Also, Graham hasn’t shown a ton of special teams value, problematic for a corner on the back end of the depth chart. Overall though, a pleasant surprise, going from longshot (we gave him a two percent chance of making the 53 prior to camp) to legitimately being in the mix.
Camp Grade: A-
Donte Jackson
A pleasant surprise this summer, Jackson got off to a hot start in training camp. He battled WR George Pickens as well as any Steelers corner with multiple breakups and one interception throughout camp. Jackson’s speed helps him defend anything vertically and he tracks and finds the ball well.
He showed the short-term memory all good corners must have, not hanging his head when Pickens or Van Jefferson (who toasted him as Jackson lost his balance on an early rep in camp) beat him and coming back to make the next play. After giving up the play to Jefferson, Jackson drove and broke up a slant on the very next rep.
The back half of Jackson’s camp was quieter, and he suffered a minor injury that held him out the final few days. He picked up a handful of snaps in the second preseason game to get his feet wet in a Steelers uniform. Jackson also showed mentorship, spending lots of time with Thomas Graham Jr. going over press technique during practice downtime.
Jackson will probably take some lumps this fall but given the team’s lack of depth and youth in the secondary, he’s shown to be a solid addition.
Camp Grade: B+
DeShon Elliott
The Steelers’ new strong safety, Elliott had a solid camp. He saw a bit of slot work the first few days and can be spun down in Pittsburgh’s “big nickel” packages against 12 personnel, something the team sprinkled in throughout training camp. Elliott is a solid hitter and box player who battled TE Pat Freiermuth well this summer, though Freiermuth won most battles.
Overall, Elliott is a steady box safety with some coverage skills. A similar player to Terrell Edmunds but with more range.
Camp Grade: B+
Beanie Bishop Jr.
Bishop surprised by running as the first-team slot corner for the first two weeks of training camp. Elliott saw a couple of snaps early but generally Bishop was the guy. He made one of the top plays of camp with a leaping pick-six of Justin Fields, blitzing off the defense’s left edge and timing his jump to snag a throw intended for the flat. Bishop also battled WR Calvin Austin III hard. He won some, lost some, but both men were made better because of it. Bishop did a nice job defending slot fades and showed the athleticism to run with Austin downfield.
Bishop’s performance was a bit overstated by some in the media and it would’ve been nice to see him tested more in coverage to all levels of the field. In the preseason opener, Bishop got the nod and showed aggressiveness as a blitzer and against the run, must-have traits for a Steelers slot corner. An injury held him out of the second game against Buffalo.
Pittsburgh looked at alternatives later in camp, including veteran Grayland Arnold, but a late-camp injury re-opened the door for Bishop to be a starter until his own injury. Bishop looks like a good bet to make the team and could be a run-down corner but giving him all-situation reps is probably asking too much, especially with the time missed.
Camp Grade: B
Grayland Arnold
Arnold stayed in the slot mix for a bit, but injuries did him in. Which was a shame because there was a path for him to a starting role as the team’s nickel corner. Arnold could play downhill against the run and showed good eyes underneath with a pair of camp picks, including a great read and jump on an underneath throw to intercept John Rhys Plumlee.
Arnold dealt with a mid-camp injury, missing a few days, but recovered over the final week and got a first-team look for the last couple practices. But he suffered a calf injury blocking on a kick return, was carted off, and placed on injured reserve. He was released with an injury settlement prior to the preseason finale. It’s a bummer and leaves Pittsburgh thin and questionable at slot corner. Viewing his play without considering injury, Arnold was having a solid camp.
Camp Grade: B
Joey Porter Jr.
For a hyped-up rookie year and entering 2024 as the team’s No. 1 corner, it was a pretty quiet summer for Porter That doesn’t mean it was a bad one. He just didn’t make the impact plays other corners did, no interceptions and only a couple of breakups. He also didn’t see George Pickens as often as Arthur Smith more creatively moved Pickens around the formation instead of just aligning him out wide.
Porter’s run defense looked solid in limited opportunities and even when he allowed catches, he provided tight coverages on throws to Pickens and Van Jefferson. He was available in each practice and got valuable reps. His biggest issue were flags, at least one or two of them on downfield throws in camp, and he was penalized in the opener against the Houston Texans. He says he’s not coordinating his gloves to jerseys but it would be smart for him to try given that he’s a long and physical corner downfield who wants to use his size to his advantage.
Overall, a fine summer for Porter and he’ll enter the season as the Steelers’ top guy.
Camp Grade: B
Damontae Kazee
Kazee had a fine camp and saw a lot of reps as Minkah Fitzpatrick missed some time and Pittsburgh wasn’t deep at the position. His play didn’t stand out in a greatly positive or negative way, but he should have a role in the Steelers’ dime packages. That’s ideal for him.
He did have a couple jump balls against TE Darnell Washington and broke one up on an impressive play. Overall, Kazee was fine-to-solid this summer, though having turned 31 in June, it’s looking like 2024 will be his final year with the team.
Camp Grade: B
Cory Trice Jr.
It was a quiet first week for Trice, struggling to see reps as the team slowly worked him back from his rookie year ACL injury. But that was intentional and true to the team’s word, Trice saw increased work throughout the summer. Pittsburgh’s worked him into dime packages in the box or over slot, leaning on his size and length.
In coverage, Trice wasn’t tested often, making it hard to get an evaluation on him. He showed patience in man but also looked a little clunky in his turn. As a run defender, he was willing and solid, looking much better there than most of the other backup defensive backs. Against Houston, he made a great TFL on a screen, an awesome moment that was a long time coming.
Trice hasn’t gotten a ton of special teams work but he should make this team as a backup outside corner and possible dime player. Inevitably, he’ll serve some time on special teams once the roster shrinks from 91 men in the offseason to just 48 on a regular-season gameday.
Camp Grade: B
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Like T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, and Isaac Seumalo, there isn’t much time spent evaluating and studying Fitzpatrick in camp. It’d be like watching Usain Bolt stretch – just watch him when the gun sounds, that’s when it matters. Fitzpatrick dealt with a minor injury mid-camp that limited him to individual and 7-on-7 work for a few days. He also didn’t pick off a pass, still looking for his first INT in quite awhile, though it’s not like any Steelers QB was foolish enough to test him.
Fitzpatrick is healthy and ready for the opener. That’s all that counts.
Camp Grade: B
Cam Sutton
Sutton left Pittsburgh as a corner. He returned as a safety. At least, that’s how Pittsburgh used him throughout camp, Sutton playing very little corner so as to not take reps away from Beanie Bishop Jr. and company. Sutton will probably end up playing a lot of slot corner after serving an eight-game suspension. But he has the IQ to play safety and dabbled there at the Senior Bowl coming out of Tennessee, not to mention playing there in post-snap rotations late in his Steelers career.
Sutton is an iffy tackler coming down in the alley, a little Patrick Peterson like, but he’s smart and in the right place. He also served as a mentor to Bishop throughout camp.
Camp Grade: B
Miles Killebrew
After playing significant defensive snaps when injuries piled up last year, Killebrew is returning to his steady special teams role. He works hard and is dedicated to his craft, once spending an early portion of practice working on his punt-protect sets and his punt-blocking ability, something he does better than anyone else in football.
His camp play was generally nondescript but solid. He’s a reliable tackler and good communicator and veteran presence for guys like Ryan Watts. Killebrew is just super steady, solid as a backup safety and elite as a special teamer.
Camp Grade: B-
Nate Meadors
Meadors caught my attention with a decent camp. He was compact and a willing tackler who could fill the alley. He also made a nice interception, picking off QB Kyle Allen in a Seven Shots period, stepping in front of Allen’s target on the goal line and jumping the route. But he suffered a hamstring injury and was waived/injured before being released with a settlement. Had he stayed healthy, he might’ve stuck on the practice squad.
Meadors never made it to a preseason game but there’s enough camp volume to offer a grade here, even if it feels moot.
Camp Grade: B-
Ryan Watts
Watts was a late-round rookie making a position switch from corner to safety. Lots of obstacles to overcome. On a foundational level, the tools are there. He’s big, physical, a good open-field tackler. Watts showed versatility playing in the box and in some dime looks. He was also vocal and a good communicator, a trait you don’t normally see in late-round rookies.
But he’s raw. Which isn’t a shock knowing he’s making the position switch. Watts was out of position too often and the way DC Teryl Austin described him made Watts sound more practice squad than a guy on the 53-man roster. He got some work on special teams, including as a gunner, and made some impact by drawing a block in the back call against Houston. Still, his reps and play there weren’t enough to keep him for his special teams work alone.
I like where Watts could end up. It just will take him time to get there.
Camp Grade: C+
Darius Rush
Rush had a promising start to training camp, soaking up second-team reps and making plays on the ball. He looked good at the catch point. But his reps and play faded down the stretch as Cory Trice Jr. and Anthony Averett saw increased time. Rush has outlasted Averett and had a decent game against Buffalo with an end zone breakup (the ball was underthrown and hit off the back of Rush’s helmet but hey, an incompletion is an incompletion).
Rush’s also seen some special teams and gunner works but reps have been scarce. I was a big fan of Rush coming out of South Carolina, but he hasn’t made enough plays to stamp a 53-man roster spot. Perhaps he makes the initial 53 but is replaced by a post-cut add.
Camp Grade: C+
Anthony Averett
Averett saw increased reps throughout camp as he and Cory Trice Jr. ate into Darius Rush and Kalon Barnes’ reps. Averett had a couple decent practices, a veteran who could read and close on the football. But he was limited athletically and beat downfield too often, including by Calvin Austin III on Russell Wilson’s 55-60-yard throw in one of the final camp practices.
In the preseason, he struggled as a tackler and Josh Carney noted him for a pair of misses. Averett was part of a secondary that couldn’t get anyone on the ground against Buffalo as the Steelers’ run defense was rolled for over 100 rushing yards in the second half. Pittsburgh released him heading into the Steelers’ preseason finale.
Camp Grade: C-
Jalen Elliott
Elliott was brought back to replace the injured Nate Meadors, bouncing back onto the roster after being yo-yoed throughout last year and cut in the spring. He’s a veteran who could pick up where he left off. With a bit of size, he’s a willing tackler but not always an effective one. He did provide serviceable snaps for a Steelers team that chose not to be deep at safety throughout camp, often carrying the “minimum” of six. He could return to the practice squad to start the year.
Camp Grade: C-
Kalon Barnes
Barnes began camp getting the bulk of second-team left corner reps. But his play wasn’t inspiring. He was an okay tackler and run defender but despite 4.23 Combine speed, it didn’t translate to the field. Too often, he got beat deep, in part because of undisciplined eyes that would get him caught looking. George Pickens burned him for a big catch from Justin Fields while Scotty Miller ran behind him a couple times, including during the Friday Night Lights practice, though those passes fell incomplete.
Barnes suffered a quad injury toward the end of camp and was waived/injured before being released with an injury settlement. A disappointing summer.
Camp Grade: D+
Kyler McMichael
McMichael was signed midway through camp and saw a fair number of third-team reps. His play wasn’t notable and he’s average athletically and struggled as a tackler. He picked off a pass off a tipped pass late in training camp but most of my camp notes were just writing him down as the cornerback who allowed the catch. I doubt he sticks on the practice squad.
Camp Grade: D
Josiah Scott
Viewed as the initial favorite to play in the slot, Scott was among the first players released in camp. He saw some second-team reps the first few days while playing behind Beanie Bishop Jr.. Perhaps he asked for his release, seeing the writing on the wall, or the team just knew he wasn’t going to be the guy. Either way, he was quickly out the door.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Zyon Gilbert
Gilbert was a late camp add who got in a practice or two before camp broke. He made a play in that limited time, breaking up a throw from John Rhys Plumlee intended for Calvin Austin III. A good athlete but a little tight-hipped, there’s a chance he sticks on the team’s initial 17-man practice squad.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Kiondre Thomas
Thomas signed the day after camp, meaning we never got eyes on him in Latrobe. Per our charting, he played 10 snaps at left cornerback against the Buffalo Bills. He wasn’t targeted, mostly because Buffalo attempted just one pass on those snaps. He’ll be a quick cut from the 53 and is unlikely to make the practice squad.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Previous Camp Grades
Quarterback
Running Back
Wide Receiver
Tight End
Interior O-Line
Defensive Line
Linebacker
