Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers’ 2025 season is finally upon us… Well, almost. Pittsburgh kicks off its preseason opener in just a few days on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. EST, visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars.
We’re at that point in the year where there will be football every weekend through February. And because of that, Read & React is picking up steam as well. During the offseason, we put together this column once every two weeks. Now, we’ll be back to once a week as long as the Steelers are on your TV.
Our topics this week shouldn’t be surprising. Like everyone else, we’re counting down the days to Saturday’s game. What should you be watching for against the Jaguars? And more importantly, who’s on the early watchlist for BTSC’s most prestigious award?
If you need context on the Isaac Redman Award’s history, there’s a whole Wikipedia entry (seriously) you can check out here.
The TL;DR? Following each preseason, Behind the Steel Curtain readers vote for whichever young, sixth-round-to-UDFA Steelers player has impressed the most over the offseason. It may have started as a joke, but now we take pride in taking it way, way too seriously around here.
RB*:* There’s no arguing that Roc Taylor has enjoyed the loudest training camp so far of the Steelers’ 2025 undrafted free agent class.
In fact, he’s stood out from the beginning. Watching the former Memphis receiver’s 2024 tape during the spring, I came away a little surprised that he didn’t hear his name called in the draft.
Taylor is built like an NFL X receiver at 6’2, 213 pounds, and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds. He put up 2,033 receiving yards over his last two collegiate seasons. Sure, his game lacks a lot of refinement, but he has what it takes to play in the league.
Over the summer, the legend of Roc Taylor has grown, with the rookie putting together a highlight reel’s worth of training camp plays.
It seems that four of the wide receiver spots on the Steelers’ final roster are already filled barring injury: D.K. Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, and Ben Skowronek. One or two spots remain available, and based on camp reports, Taylor has been keeping up with other roster hopefuls such as Robert Woods and Scotty Miller.
Plus, Taylor’s size immediately differentiates himself from names like Austin, Wilson, and Miller if the team is looking for different skill sets to fill out the room.
I still think the veterans Woods and Miller have a better shot at making the final roster – Taylor seems like prime practice squad material – but he’s definitely in the mix for the final 53 if he puts together a strong preseason.
Concerns about his hands and route-running aside, the big play potential he’s shown in training camp should translate to at least one notable preseason highlight....
