The Pittsburgh Steelers just dropped their first depth chart of training camp, and holy moly, there’s one name on that list that’s gonna make every 12 in the Emerald City do a double-take: DK Metcalf is listed as a starting receiver for the Black and Gold. Yeah, you read that right. Our guy DK, wearing different colors, starting for another team. Can you believe it? That’s gotta hit different for anyone who rocked a Seahawks jersey with his name on the back for years. Talk about a curveball!
Offensive “Shocks” and QB Peeps
Honestly, beyond the absolute Metcalf bomb, the offensive side of things is pretty much what everyone expected. Not exactly shockers, right? The quarterback battle for those backup spots is set, at least for now. Mason Rudolph is holding down the QB2 spot, which, let’s be real, isn’t a huge surprise to anyone who follows the league. Then you’ve got Will Howard at QB3 and Drew Allar rounding it out at QB4. It’s super early days in the regular season, but that’s the pecking order they’re rolling with heading into their first real action. They’re clearly looking for some stability there.
The offensive line also came out exactly as predicted, which means no wild experiments or rookie surprises, at least not yet. From left to right, we’re looking at Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, Zach Frazier, Spencer Anderson, and Dylan Cook as the starting five. Broderick Jones is slotted as the backup left tackle, and Max Iheanachor is the backup right tackle. Consistency is the name of the game for these guys, and they’re showing it upfront. Good to see some familiar faces getting those nods.
Defensive Surprises and a Pricey Problem?
Now, while the offense mostly played it safe, the defense brought some actual surprises to the table, and that’s where things get interesting. At nose tackle, Yahya Black snagged the starting spot, pushing veteran Sebastian Joseph-Day to the No. 2 position. Wow! That’s a bold move right out of the gate, giving the nod to Black over the vet. You gotta love seeing a young guy earn it.
And then there’s the linebacker rotation, which also had some eyebrow-raising placements. Carson Bruener is in the top four, which is a solid showing for him. But what really caught my eye is Malik Harrison coming in fifth on the depth chart. The source straight up says that “considering his price tag, that could hint at his future with the Steelers being short.” Yikes! That’s a pretty blunt assessment for a guy in early August. Seems like the coaches are making a loud statement there about performance versus paychecks, especially when you’re not even in the top four.
With their preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers just a little over a week out, all eyes will be on how these guys perform to solidify their spots. You know coaches love to see who steps up when the lights come on, especially after a depth chart like this gets everyone talking. Let’s see if these early trends hold up and what that means for the squad!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Behind the Steel Curtain.
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