Steelers 2-a-days: Rookie Jaylen Warren in the mix at RB, Cody White for No. 4-5 WR

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2022 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, two per day, between June 11 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

RB JAYLEN WARREN

Experience: Rookie

Contract status: $709,000 cap hit if he makes the active roster in 2022

2022 outlook: A streak of five consecutive drafts in which the Steelers took at least one running back was snapped this spring — but the Steelers did grab two of the better remaining backs left on the market immediately after the draft ended: Mataeo Durant and Warren. Each was highly productive at a Power Five program last year, with Warren accumulating 1,216 rushing yards and 25 catches for 225 yards with 11 touchdowns in 13 games for an Oklahoma State team that was in the national title race into December.

At 5-foot-8, 215 pounds, Warren perhaps could evolve into a complementary back to workhorse starter Najee Harris. Incumbent backups at the position are Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr. Barring an acquisition of a veteran between now and the beginning of the regular season, one of those four will be the No. 2 running back. Warren, who began his college career in junior college and at first transferred to Utah State, perhaps has a good a chance as anyone.

Jaylen Warren and Mataeo Durant are bonding – and not just because of their shared experience of being an undrafted rookie running back with the #Steelers. https://t.co/oliPGxwGu6

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) June 30, 2022

WR CODY WHITE

Experience: 15 regular-season games for the Steelers last season after going undrafted in 2020

Contract status: $825,000 cap hit in 2022, after which scheduled to be an exclusive rights free agent

2022 outlook: White made his NFL debut for the Steelers last season and spent most of it as the No. 5 wide receiver (after the injury to JuJu Smith-Schuster). Though he played more than nine offensive snaps in a game just twice and had only five catches for 33 yards for the season, White was used on special teams. A former Michigan State receiver who spent parts of the 2020 training camp with three different teams, White has stuck with the Steelers since September 2020. White’s father, Sheldon, was hired earlier this year as the Steelers’ director of pro scouting.

Though the Steelers lost three of their top five wide receivers to free agency, they also selected two in the first four rounds of the draft. That leaves White perhaps in a tougher spot than even last season in regards to holding a roster spot — he has to jockey with rookies George Pickens and Calvin Austin III behind veteran starters Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson. Another new veteran addition is Gunner Olszewski (albeit he is more of a return specialist), productive college player Tyler Snead was signed as an undrafted free agent and three holdovers from last season’s practice squad are back.

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