The Pittsburgh Steelers ' first preseason game is upon us, and weeks of practice and training have led to this. Pittsburgh needs to see a lot from its 91-man roster in order to determine who is deserving of making the final roster.
While everyone on the back end of the roster is vying for their spot, there are a few names that stick out with the most on the line in this game. This game will be vital in determining who gets an early leg up for a roster spot.
A good game gives these players a leg up. A bad outing, and these players could head closer to the roster bubble.
One of the Steelers' most intriguing undrafted free agent signings, Kevin Jobity, has struggled to make a lot of noise in a deep defensive line room. Other names have seemingly passed him on the depth chart already, and now he seems to be fighting for a practice squad spot.
That said, there should be plenty of opportunities for the athletic and raw lineman to show his stuff. Jobity should see a lot of work in the second half of the game, and if he can flash the pass-rushing chops he showed in school, he could quickly climb the depth chart.
Kaleb Johnson has maintained a steady presence for the Steelers so far this summer. However, he is still clearly on the roster bubble. He has tried to play on special teams, providing some value there, but at the end of the day, he needs to show the big-play ability that he displayed in school.
Lew Nichols was explosive last year, and fans are ravenous to see Eli Heidenreich make his debut. However, Johnson should get a lot of work and needs to look competent on the ground. If not, he becomes just a mediocre special teams player, and there isn't a lot of value there.
Has there been a bigger fall from grace than Will Howard this summer? The expectation was for him to be the backup this year. That hasn't materialized to this point, and now he feels like an obvious cut candidate.
Mason Rudolph is a comfortable second option for the team. Howard needs to prove that he is the better option over Rudolph. It starts with this game, and if it doesn't work out, he could quickly see his time in Pittsburgh end.
This article was originally published on www.stillcurtain.com as 3 Steelers who desperately need to deliver in the preseason opener .
