If there’s one Pittsburgh Steelers player who has flown under the radar all summer, it might be RB Trey Sermon. The fourth-string back for a team that may only keep three on the 53, Sermon’s done all he can to secure a spot on the Steelers in some capacity moving forward. None of his preseason outings were gaudy and he didn’t make the highlight reels as often as even teammate Lew Nichols, but Sermon’s well-rounded game is attractive.
Breaking down the tape to highlight what Sermon offers.
Runner
His duties as a running back are obvious enough. Sermon is a physical runner with above-average power and tackle-breaking ability. He’s a north/south back with just enough juice out in space. On this split-zone run against Carolina, he shows the vision to bounce the run wide and the speed to win the corner on this 30-yard scoot.
A nice job by WR Ke’Shawn Williams to crack the creeping safety, too. He helped spring it.
Sermon finished the preseason with 10 carries for 50 yards, a healthy 5.0 YPC, and one rushing touchdown.
Receiver
Sermon is a competent receiver and safety valve. He continued to display that Thursday night, taking this checkdown on 3rd and 8, breaking a tackle, making a move along the sideline, and picking up the first down.
That’s big time. Plays keeping drives alive that hopefully end in touchdowns, not field goals, though a bunch of penalties eventually backed the offense up and forced the Steelers to settle for three.
In the preseason opener against Jacksonville, Sermon did something similar. He took this underhand pitch from QB Skylar Thompson and created in space with two broken tackles. Again, he moved the chains.
Sermon also caught an 11-yard touchdown pass against Jacksonville, though it was of walk-in variety more than anything else Sermon did. He ranked second on the Steelers with eight preseason receptions. Three of which went for first downs.
Blocker
Sermon can pass block and was often used on third downs. He has size and strength to hold up and create a strong base against blitzing linebackers. He may have missed one blitz against Tampa Bay but overall, he offers value as a blocker.
Special Teams
Sermon didn’t just play his position well. He was a multi-phase and effective special teamer. Across the first two preseason games, he logged 29 special teams snaps. They came on a mix of units. After his touchdown catch against Jacksonville, he assisted on a tackle on the ensuing kickoff and ended the game with two of them. Clips below highlight that, Sermon aligned as R3, third-in from the left side in the first clip.
Sermon also saw kick-return work in the opener. He returned this kick out to the 34. Hardly the most impressive play but he bounced it wide to find a little daylight and finished the return well. He nearly made it to the touchback line of the 35. That’s a win.
On the punt team, he’s working as one of the wings and has the size you like on the punt-protect unit.
Final Thoughts
Sermon doesn’t have an A trait. But he is doing a lot of things on the B level. A good runner, receiver, blocker, and special teamer with NFL experience. He has 42 games under his belt. That’s a nice player to have on your roster. Probably the practice squad but it’s not impossible for Sermon to make the 53-man roster, especially if there’s a surprise cut like CB Beanie Bishop Jr. or if the team goes lighter with say eight offensive linemen on its initial 53-man roster.
If Sermon begins the year on the practice squad, he can serve as a quick call-up not just if there’s an injury at running back but any special teams position where he can get a hat and contribute.
