Several Steelers Depot readers discuss the Black and Gold every Monday night on the Clubhouse app. We made an early roster prediction just before 2025 Steelers training camp began.
Since then, Omar Khan has executed several transactions and some were players injured during camp, prompting more changes.
Here is the revised 53-man roster based on our observations at camp and the Jacksonville game:
Offense (25)
Quarterbacks (3)
Aaron Rodgers
Mason Rudolph
Will Howard
Practice Squad – Skylar Thompson
No change. We kept Will Howard on the roster over Skylar Thompson. We left open the possibility of placing Howard on injured reserve with a designation to return. That would open up the third spot for Thompson to open the season on the roster. But we will wait to see how quickly Howard returns from his hand injury before making that decision. Howard’s injury remains under evaluation, but a short-term IR stint could allow Thompson to start the season on the 53-man roster. Newly signed Logan Woodside has not gotten much work at camp and played just a few snaps in the Steelers’ preseason opener. He is unlikely to make the practice squad unless the Steelers trade Thompson.
Running Backs (3)
Jaylen Warren
Kaleb Johnson
Kenneth Gainwell
Practice Squad – Trey Sermon and Lew Nichols
We had four running backs on our initial roster. This time we are going with three to make room for a spot in another position group. We dropped Trey Sermon to the practice squad. With Cordarrelle Patterson gone, we added Lew Nichols, who ran hard last Saturday night, to the practice squad.
Tight Ends/Fullbacks (4)
Pat Freiermuth
Darnell Washington
Jonnu Smith
Connor Heyward
Practice Squad – JJ Galbreath
We combine tight ends and fullbacks. Fullback seems to be closer to tight ends due to H-backs playing dual roles. Freiermuth, Washington, and Smith are roster locks, but we swapped Heyward and Galbreath when it comes to the 53. With DJ Thomas-Jones waived/injured, Connor Heyward’s ability to play special teams and fullback when necessary put him ahead of Galbreath, who just played okay against the Jaguars.
Wide Receivers (6)
Calvin Austin III
DK Metcalf
Roman Wilson
Ben Skowronek
Scotty Miller
Roc Taylor
Practice Squad – Brandon Johnson, Ke’Shawn Williams, and Max Hurleman
We added a sixth receiver to the roster with the extra spot from the running back group despite Arthur Smith preference for tight end-heavy schemes. We just saw too much talent last Saturday night. Plus, Austin has not been practicing, leading to a concern that an injury or some other problem is more serious. Still, Metcalf, Austin, and Wilson easy choices for the roster. Skowronek is next for his ability as a gunner on special teams. We debated about youth versus experience. We liked Scotty Miller’s speed and performance against the Jaguars. And Roc Taylor has shown potential throughout camp and the Steelers’ first preseason game.
Robert Woods, despite his veteran reliability, was edged out by Roc Taylor’s upside and Scotty Miller’s speed, aligning with the Steelers’ push for a younger, more explosive receiving corps. The practice squad has three who have shown they can play. Hurleman is listed as a running back on the Steelers’ roster. But we have him here since he is so versatile. We don’t want to lose his athleticism.
Offensive Line (9)
Interior Linemen (5)
Zach Frazier
Isaac Seumalo
Mason McCormick
Ryan McCollum
Spencer Anderson
Tackles (4)
Broderick Jones
Troy Fautanu
Andrus Peat
Dylan Cook
Practice Squad – Max Scharping and Steven Jones
The five starters are easy to select. We kept Ryan McCollum and Spencer Anderson as backup interior linemen. Anderson can play all five positions. McCollum is the best backup center, but we must keep an eye on his injury. At tackle, we kept Dylan Cook as the swing tackle but replaced Max Scharping with Andrus Peat, who can play tackle and guard.
Keeping Peat mitigates Cook’s lack of experience as a swing tackle. We dropped Gareth Warren and Doug Nester from the practice squad, replacing them with Scharping and massive Steven Jones. This left Calvin Anderson out. He has not been practicing and may be a candidate for one of the two preseason IR-designated-to-return spots. This position group may experience change once teams cut down to their initial 53-man roster in a couple weeks.
Defense (25)
Defensive Line (7)
Cam Heyward
Derrick Harmon
Keeanu Benton
Isaiahh Loudermilk
Esezi Otomewo
Daniel Ekuale
Yahya Black
Practice Squad – DeMarvin Leal and Logan Lee
One change to our initial defensive line group. We drop Logan Lee to the practice squad and replace him with Esezi Otomewo. Isaiahh Loudermilk hangs in there. Last year we said, “Leal has one more year to prove his worth.” He was doing well on the edge, but nagging injuries forcing DeMarvin Leal to miss some practice time. So, we keep the former third-round pick on the practice squad with Lee. Yahya Black solidified his spot with a solid performance against the Jaguars. We like Breiden Fehoko but could not find a spot for him.
Linebackers (8)
Outside Linebackers/Edge (4)
T.J. Watt
Alex Highsmith
Nick Herbig
Jack Sawyer
Inside Linebackers (4)
Patrick Queen
Payton Wilson
Malik Harrison
Cole Holcomb
Practice Squad – Carson Bruener, Mark Robinson, Eku Leota, and Julius Welschof
No changes to the EDGE rushers or inside linebackers. The practice squad is the same with one exception. Eku Leota replaces Jeremiah Moon, who is no longer with the team. Holcomb looks completely recovered from a career-threatening knee injury, which could make inside linebacker a very strong group. We have Mark Robinson on the practice squad. He played just eight defensive snaps last season but a beastly 301 on special teams.
The Steelers can elevate him from the practice squad as needed, but there just not enough room on the roster for the former seventh-round pick. Welschof is a freebie to hold on the practice squad.
Secondary (10)
Cornerbacks (6)
Joey Porter Jr.
Darius Slay
Jalen Ramsey
Beanie Bishop Jr.
Brandin Echols
D’Shawn Jamison
Safeties (4)
DeShon Elliott
Juan Thornhill
Chuck Clark
Miles Killebrew
Practice Squad – Sebastian Castro and Donte Kent
Before the start of camp we said, “We’re bullish on [Cory] Trice [Jr.] if he avoids the injury bug.” Alas, he has been hobbled. Another candidate for the IR – designated for return. Some challenging decisions face the team in the coming weeks, and we replace Trice with D’Shawn Jamison. In the safety room, veteran Chuck Clark, signed at the start of camp, looks solid. We place him on the roster and drop Sebastian Castro to the practice squad with Donte Kent, who has also been hobbled.
We went back and forth on James Pierre. His special teams prowess (noted for 2024 contributions) couldn’t overcome concerns about his coverage limitations, leading to D’Shawn Jamison’s inclusion for his upside. In the end, we ran out of spots.
Specialists (3)
Chris Boswell
Cameron Johnston
Christian Kuntz
Boswell and Kuntz are roster locks. The most intriguing battle is at punter. Cameron Johnston suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of 2024. Corliss Waitman replaced him and had a solid season as a punter and holder. They alternated punts last Saturday, and we could go either way here. For now we went with Johnston and hope that Omar Khan can trade Waitman for more draft capital. But we’d be OK if the Steelers keep Waitman. Johnston’s selection reflects confidence in his recovery, but Waitman’s consistent performance last season and in the preseason make him a valuable trade chip or a potential roster keep if Khan prioritizes stability. Both will be punting in the NFL in 2025.
Conclusion
Many thanks to the Steelers Town Hall contributors who collaborated on this roster prediction: Ken Sterner, Ted Webb, Brandon, Marc Mosley, Scratch, and Vernon Rochester.
Our initial 53-man roster has 25 offensive and 25 defensive players along with three specialists. On the practice squad, we went with nine on offense and eight on defense.
We left some experienced players completely off the roster – Robert Woods, Calvin Anderson, Breiden Fehoko, Cory Trice Jr., and James Pierre. Plus, we relegated Mark Robinson and DeMarvin Leal to the practice squad. Then there is the tough decision at punter.
Omar Khan has been a busy man. There are likely going to be more transactions between now and the end of the preseason. We’ll form a final prediction after the Steelers’ last preseason game. Did we miss any players on the 91-man roster we should have included on the 53? Let us know.
Your Song Selection
I always like to include a bit of music. With just over three weeks of training camp and only three preseason games, players like Roc Taylor, Will Howard, and Cory Trice Jr. stand at a crossroads, needing to prove their worth to secure a roster spot. “Crossroads” by Cream captures this pivotal moment as Omar Khan makes tough calls regarding the team’s young talent.
