One thing that’s been talked about a lot in this iteration of the Pittsburgh Steelers is their depth. But the Steelers have depth at many positions, and there could be a few where they end up thin in terms of numbers to keep players elsewhere. Whether it’s to keep four quarterbacks or bolster a different position, there are a few clear positions where the Steelers might wind up shorter than usual when it comes to numbers.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Mike McCarthy is no stranger to keeping eight offensive linemen. If Broderick Jones opens the season on PUP, there’s a real scenario where the Steelers only keep eight along the line. It could sacrifice some potential depth at offensive tackle, but given that McCarthy has only kept eight in the past, it’s the first position that comes to mind.
The Steelers can’t keep fewer than eight to maintain the maximum roster size of 48 on gamedays, so all eight would be active on gamedays. But that would give the Steelers flexibility to keep a potential developmental piece elsewhere on the roster.
TIGHT END
Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth are roster locks. Beyond that, the Steelers have JJ Galbreath, Jaheim Bell and Robert Tonyan in the mix as pure tight ends. Tonyan has familiarity with Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy, and I would think he has the leg up when it comes to being the TE3 for that reason alone.
But the Steelers also have Riley Nowakowski. While they plan to use Nowakowski at fullback, he’s taken reps all over this offseason, and the team could view him as a de facto TE3. With the rise in tight end usage across the league, it would be a bit of a surprise to only keep two “true” tight ends, but Nowakowski played the position at Indiana and could fill the role just fine.
It helps that Washington and Freiermuth are among the best tight end duos in the sport right now, and that could make the Steelers more comfortable keeping only those two + Nowakowski on the 53-man roster.
SAFETY
The Steelers only kept three safeties on the initial 53-man roster last year before adding Chuck Clark in a procedural move. Of the positions I’ve listed, safety feels like the least likely to be cut, but there could be a similar procedural move as last year. Jalen Ramsey will move around a bit, and Jaquan Brisker and DeShon Elliott are safe. Both Robert Spears-Jennings and Sebastian Castro have a legitimate case for a roster spot.
Considering Ramsey will move around, though, the Steelers could keep only three “true” safeties. Brisker/Elliott, and then one of Spears-Jennings or Castro, would make a lot of sense, considering that Ramsey can play the position and also move down the slot. His flexibility gives the Steelers flexibility at safety, and it could leave the team a little thinner at “true” safeties to help them maintain depth elsewhere.