PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers open the 2023 NFL regular season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 10 at Acrisure Stadium. But first, they'll welcome Year 2 of the Kenny Pickett era -- and the first without a camp quarterback competition -- at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. That doesn't mean there aren't jobs up for grabs and intriguing battles to be had.
Offensively, most of the skill positions are set, but left tackle Dan Moore Jr. will try to hold off rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones for the starting job. Moore looked good in offseason workouts, but the next phase of the competition begins at training camp. There could be even more change on the line after the team signed guard Isaac Seumalo in free agency, raising the potential for Kevin Dotson to leave via trade.
The offensive line isn't the only group that will look a little different for the Steelers this season -- defensively, they overhauled their inside linebacker group with all new starters, and the cornerbacks look a lot different with the additions of Joey Porter Jr. and Patrick Peterson.
Here is the 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph
The biggest surprise with this position group is that it's exactly the same as a year ago -- especially considering Rudolph hit free agency. Not only did he re-sign, but Trubisky signed a two-year extension to keep the group behind second-year quarterback Pickett intact. The Steelers feel they've got a good thing going in the position group, so there's no need to change it.
RUNNING BACK (3): Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr.
Harris and Warren are locks in this position group, but McFarland's spot isn't as secure. Harris will still likely get the bulk of the carries in 2023, but Warren proved last season that he's a solid third-down back and a complementary piece to Harris. Beyond those two, though, the Steelers lack quality depth. Look for the team to use training camp to explore other backup options.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson II, Calvin Austin III, Gunner Olszewski, Miles Boykin
Olszewski's inclusion would be more assured if he bounces back from a rocky 2022 and emerges from camp as the primary returner -- a spot he held and lost last year. If Austin stays healthy through that camp, he could become a contender for that role and make Olszewski expendable. This group is another that could use training camp to find at least one other depth piece in a top-heavy group. End-of-roster options include XFL receiver Hakeem Butler and Cody White.
TIGHT END (4): Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Connor Heyward, Darnell Washington
A year ago, the Steelers carried only three tight ends, but drafting Washington means adding an extra player to this group. Both Washington and Heyward are versatile players in different ways, and Heyward is coming off a rookie season where he played 15% of offensive snaps and got involved more toward the end of the season. Though he's listed as a tight end, Heyward can fill in as a running back and perform some of the fullback duties previously filled by Derek Watt.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Dan Moore Jr., Isaac Seumalo, Broderick Jones, Chuks Okorafor, Mason Cole, James Daniels, Kevin Dotson, Nate Herbig, Le'Raven Clark
An emphasis of the offseason, the Steelers used premium assets to acquire top-end talent like Seumalo and Jones to upgrade the line. The biggest decision here is what to do with Dotson and Kendrick Green, the team's starting center two seasons ago. A converted guard, Green struggled with the move to center, and once the team brought in Cole and Daniels last offseason, Green and Dotson battled for the left guard spot. Dotson beat Green, but this year, Seumalo appears likely to take Dotson's spot, making him a potential trade candidate given the team's depth on the interior of the line.
DEFENSIVE LINE (7): Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, Montravius Adams, Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal, Armon Watts
Re-signing Ogunjobi was among the Steelers' most impactful moves of the offseason. Even playing with a series of injuries, Ogunjobi was effective in stopping the run, and figures to be an even bigger factor if he stays healthy this year. The biggest question in this group is Watts, signed in free agency after a season with the Chicago Bears. If he plays like he did in 2021 with the Vikings -- collecting 46 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 10 quarterback hits -- Watts will be a solid part of the rotation at defensive end with Heyward and Ogunjobi.
LINEBACKER (8): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Markus Golden, Nick Herbig, Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Mark Robinson, Tanner Muse
No position group had as much turnover as the inside linebacker group going into the 2023 season. The only holdover from last year's team is second-year player Robinson, who started getting more playing time late in 2022. The team added free agents Holcomb and Roberts to the inside, while signing Golden on the outside to give the team a coveted third veteran outside linebacker to spell Highsmith and Watt. Muse impressed in rookie minicamp and OTAs, earning him a roster spot along with rookie outside 'backer Herbig.
CORNERBACK (5): Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice, Levi Wallace, Elijah Riley
The Steelers also overhauled their cornerbacks after letting Cameron Sutton walk in free agency. They signed veteran Peterson and drafted both Porter Jr. and Trice. Not only could Peterson play outside, but he's been open to moving around and could wind up playing nickel. The other nickel option is Riley, who previously spent most of his career as a safety. Chandon Sullivan or James Pierre could also challenge for a roster spot.
SAFETY (5): Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, Miles Killebrew, Damontae Kazee, Tre Norwood
Terrell Edmunds went across the state to the Eagles in free agency, opening the door for the Steelers to add Neal to the position group. Other than the Edmunds-Neal swap, the safety group is the same unit from a season ago, anchored by Fitzpatrick. Kazee and Fitzpatrick already have good chemistry from last season, but it remains to be seen who will spend the most time on the field with Fitzpatrick. Killebrew is a solid special teamer, and Norwood is to the defense what Connor Heyward is to the offense: a versatile do-everything kind of player who can plug a variety of holes in a pinch.
SPECIALIST (3): Chris Boswell, Pressley Harvin III, Christian Kuntz
No surprises here, although Harvin battled an injury through the offseason and the Steelers brought in fellow Ray Guy winner Braden Mann, who spent the past three seasons as the Jets' punter, for camp competition. The Steelers see promise in Harvin, though his inconsistency opens the door for the team to explore other options like Mann.