Player: DL Gabriel Rubio
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The draft pick nobody had ever heard of, Gabriel Rubio is not the forgotten man for the Steelers’ coaching staff. While he is firmly on the roster bubble, at best, it seems he’ll at least have every opportunity to make the team. Notably, he has been working at nose tackle, and spent some time working with the starters yesterday. That doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way, but it happened.
For such a large man, it’s hard to believe Gabriel Rubio managed to go unnoticed by the time the Steelers drafted him in the sixth round in April. An oft-injured Notre Dame defensive lineman, his availability certainly hindered his draft stock. But the Steelers saw something they liked in him, and they haven’t forgotten that.
It’s important to remind, especially when talking about defensive lineman, that the Steelers haven’t even put the pads on yet. But we can still say something about when and where somebody is playing. The Steelers had Gabriel Rubio lining up at nose tackle, and he also spent some time working with the starters.
That might not mean a whole lot by today’s practice, or next week—it’s too early to say, frankly. All a guy in Rubio’s position can do is take advantage of the opportunities place in front of him. we’ll know a lot more on that front next week when they’re allowed to start hitting, naturally.
The Steelers will have some stiff competition along the defensive line. They figure to have five locks—which is a lot. Between Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and Yahya Black, the roster is almost full. Gabriel Rubio could be competing for just one spot with Dean Lowry, Esezi Otomewo, Logan Lee, and others. But at least it appears he will very much be in the mix.
With the 2026 training camp here and many moves made, we have stock to take. Already promising a year of change, the Steelers have shaken things up. That is unavoidable, of course, when you gut the coaching staff. Mike Tomlin’s resignation has fundamentally changed this football team, including the players on the roster.
After a long season, the Steelers showed the ability to win the division and make the playoffs. But they also showed that their progress was minimal, since they made it no further. Two years in a row, with two different quarterbacks, they went 10-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round. The only differences are they ended the season on a higher note and won the AFC North. But it didn’t help.