Steel City Blitz
The Pittsburgh Steelers kickoff the 2025 Preseason schedule tonight in Jacksonville and there is no shortage of ‘must-watch’ players. As I always do, I caution all of us from taking both overall play and results from the preseason too seriously. Something I refer to as the “Kenny Pickett” Rule.
The former first rounder begins his third season at left tackle which is where he played in college. After two seasons of up and down play at right tackle the team hopes that the transition back to the left side will pay off.
So far in Training Camp it’s been a struggle. Not only has he been inconsistent in pass protection but he’s also dealing with a groin injury. Jones has had some solid moments simply because he’s an excellent athlete but he must find consistency. With the Jaguars apparently playing their starters this should be a good test for Jones.
We already know he’s a damn good football player but tonight he gets the “green dot.” With Patrick Queen not playing, Wilson will get the defensive calls into his helmet and will be relied on for getting the defense in place.
Throughout Camp, Wilson has had tremendous battles with Kenneth Gainwell. The two have battled in one-on-one situations in the passing game which has tested Wilson. That work, along with proving he can plug holes in the running game, will be on display tonight.
Every year there’s a guy in Camp who has an outstanding preseason. We often refer to it as the “Justin Brown Award.” The downside is that this player doesn’t make the team or has very little impact on it. I’m hopeful Roc Taylor isn’t this guy. I’m hoping he’s much more than that.
Taylor has solid size at 6’2” 210lbs and he’s faster than people think. After a very good career at Memphis he’s facing an uphill climb in terms of making the roster. Tonight can be a big step forward though. His biggest problem is beating press coverage and it’s doubtful he will see a lot of that in the preseason but it’s something to watch.
He’s going to get plenty of opportunities tonight and the best thing he can do is block well and catch the ball. Doing the little things will lead to bigger things.
The rookie from Iowa has played well so far in Training Camp despite some concerns. His size and length weren’t an issue, but his lack of ‘get off’ at the snap was something that really worried evaluators. While that remains a work in progress, Black has not shied away from the challenges of pro football. He’s demonstrated the ability to occupy both sides of the center and has been able to come off blocks and make tackles.
One of the running ‘jokes’ from Camp if you will is whether Black can keep his streak of knocking down passes going. He’s pretty much done this at least...
