No more ‘or’ — Kevin Dotson, Devin Bush, Ahkello Witherspoon atop Steelers depth chart

Chris Adamski
Monday, Sept. 5, 2022 4:41 p.m. | Monday, Sept. 5, 2022 4:41 p.m.

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush drops into coverage during a training-camp practice last month at Saint Vincent College. Bush, per the official depth chart released Monday, won a starting job at inside linebacker.

There is no more “or” on the first team of the Pittsburgh Steelers official depth chart.

Six days before their regular-season opener, the Steelers released the league-mandated depth chart. It is non-binding, and with so many subpackages and different personnel groupings, the term “starter” at many positions is more ambiguous than ever. Still, some newsworthy tidbits can be gleaned, even if none of them come as a surprise.

Unlike the official preseason depth chart released one month earlier, the first team was all set with no “or” designation indicating position battles. That suggests a formal acknowledgment from coach Mike Tomlin that Kevin Dotson, Devin Bush and Ahkello Witherspoon won competitions to start at left guard, left inside linebacker and left cornerback, respectively.

Dotson beat out Kendrick Green, Bush was chosen ahead of Robert Spillane and Witherspoon picked over Levi Wallace.

Steelers official depth chart pic.twitter.com/8Q1uPT75Lg

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 5, 2022

Witherspoon had played ahead of Wallace throughout training camp. Bush and Dotson emerged as full-time first-teamers during the latter stages of the preseason.

Outside of quarterback — where the pecking order is Mitch Trubisky-Mason Rudolph-Kenny Pickett — arguably the only other morsel of news in the official depth chart was that undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren was listed ahead of Benny Snell Jr. as the second-string running back.

The only rookie listed as a starter was second-round receiver George Pickens. Seventh-round linebacker Mark Robinson is the only rookie aside from Warren to be higher up on the depth chart than a veteran. Robinson holds down the second-team right inside linebacker spot ahead of special-teams specialist Marcus Allen.

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The lone “or” that remains on the depth chart is at second-team defensive tackle, where second-year Isaiahh Loudermilk and rookie third-round pick DeMarvin Leal share the spot.

Gunner Olszewski, as expected, won the return job for both punts and kickoffs.

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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.