Steelers’ 53-man roster, a player-by-player breakdown

The Pittsburgh Steelers have set their 53-man roster ahead of their Week 1 meeting with the New York Jets. Here’s a look at each player:

2, QB Mason Rudolph, 6-5, 235: Everything you want in a backup quarterback — durability, ability to win games, knowledge in the system — Rudolph is back in Pittsburgh for a seventh season after a one-year hiatus in Tennessee.

3, P Corliss Waitman, 6-2, 210: A purported fill-in for the rest of 2024 after Cameron Johnston’s Week 1 injury, Waitman was the surprise winner of a camp competition with Johnston for the 2025 gig.

4, WR DK Metcalf, 6-4, 235: Unquestionably the most accomplished receiver the Steelers have had since Antonio Brown, Metcalf quickly established some serious chemistry with Aaron Rodgers at training camp.

5, CB Jalen Ramsey, 6-1, 208: One of the highest-profile — and most surprising — offseason acquisitions in Steelers history, the June 30 trade that netted Ramsey brings a three-time All Pro who will play a versatile role in the secondary.

6 ILB Patrick Queen: 6-0, 232: Last year’s big acquisition for the defense, Queen this year seemingly flies under the radar amidst the Steelers’ other big-name defenders. Maybe that’s a good thing.

8, QB Aaron Rodgers, 6-2, 223: Only two men have won at least four NFL MVP awards. Rodgers is one of them. Even at 41, he figures to give the Steelers their best sustained QB play in more than a half decade.

9, K Chris Boswell, 6-2, 185: Entering his 11^th season with the team, Boswell was first-team All Pro in 2024 and is as reliable as it gets. Is the camp “hold in” behind him?

10, WR Roman Wilson, 5-10, 186: Last year’s third-round pick contributed almost nothing as a rookie. Barring a late outside acquisition, the Steelers desperately need Wilson to take a step forward for their 2025 WR corps.

13, WR Scotty Miller, 5-9, 174: No player did more to win a job during camp than Miller, a veteran with a Super Bowl ring who caught five passes for the Steelers last season and opens this one as the WR4.

14, RB Kenneth Gainwell, 5-9, 200: A relatively inconspicuous free-agent signing a month after he won a Super Bowl ring, Gainwell is a prototypical third-down back. He will be used as a receiver lined up all over the offense.

15, WR Ben Skowronek, 6-3, 224: Signed at the end of last year’s camp, Skowronek was so good in his role as a depth receiver and special-teams demon that he was re-signed to a two-year deal.

17, QB Skylar Thompson, 6-2, 210: Given relatively no chance to make the team when camp started, Thompson took advantage of Will Howard’s injury by playing well in preseason games and practices. He earned the QB3 job.

19, WR Calvin Austin III, 5-9, 162: The speedster became a bigger part of the offense last season. He opens this season as WR2 — unless the Steelers make a move, or Roman Wilson pushes him.

20, RB Kaleb Johnson, 6-1, 224: The third-round pick opens his rookie season in a complementary role behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. But he will be given an opportunity to show he can be the featured back of the future.

21, S Chuck Clark, 6-0, 205: A longtime NFL starter, Clark signed two days into training camp to backfill at safety following the trade of Minkah Fitzpatrick. Clark will be the top backup at both safety spots.

22, S Juan Thornhill, 6-0, 205: Thornhill was a highly-regarded, Super Bowl-winning safety after four seasons with the Chiefs. His two years in Cleveland did not go so well, but he believes he will thrive after the change of scenery.

23, CB Darius Slay, 6-0, 190: Before the June bombshell with Ramsey, it couldn’t have been believed Slay wouldn’t have been the Steelers’ biggest offseason acquisition in the secondary. He’s a 13-year pro with six Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl rung.

24, CB Joey Porter Jr., 6-2, 193: Porter had the look of an emerging star by the end of his 2023 rookie season. He appeared to plateau, though, last season. Maybe having Ramsey and Slay around will help Porter blossom.

25, S DeShon Elliott, 6-1, 210: Eliott turned out to be one of the savvier free-agent signings of the spring of 2024, so good that this past spring the Steelers gave him a raise and an extension into 2026.

26, CB Brandin Echols, 5-10, 179: A versatile piece for a versatile secondary that will ask many of its components to do myriad things, Echols will have a role on the defense and can serve as insurance at three positions.

28, S Miles Killebrew, 6-2, 222: One of the NFL’s best special-teams players, Killebrew enters his 10^th season (his fifth with the Steelers) as a unit captain who has the trust of coaches.

30, RB Jaylen Warren, 5-8, 215: Warren got a raise and an elevated role after the Steelers allowed Najee Harris to leave. But can Warren be a featured back? To what degree will he be asked to be?

33, OLB Jack Sawyer, 6-5, 260: After he had a standout College Football Playoff run with Ohio State, the Steelers were elated to draft Sawyer in the fourth round. He begins his career as the 4 at his position.

41, ILB Payton Wilson, 6-4, 242: After a rookie season spent as third fiddle at ILB, Wilson is a candidate for a breakout season. He is capable of playing every down.

44, ILB Carson Bruener, 6-1, 226: Drafted in the seventh round and the son of a former Steelers tight end, Bruener is viewed by the organization as a possible eventual successor to Killebrew as special-teams leader.

46, LS Christan Kuntz, 6-1, 228: Since he earned the Steelers’ snapper job in 2021, Kuntz hasn’t missed a game in the role. A preseason chest injury could leave his Week 1 status in doubt.

50, ILB Malik Harrison, 6-3, 255: The Steelers signed the former Ravens linebacker to a two-year, $10 million contract. Ironically, he was brought in for run-stopping prowess that will help in the annual games against Baltimore.

51, OLB Nick Herbig, 6-2, 240: Herbig could be a starting-caliber pass rusher for almost any other team but with the Steelers he is deployed more as a specialist and backup behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

54, C Zach Frazier, 6-3, 310: Frazier did nothing during his rookie season as a 2024 second-round pick to dispel the Steelers’ belief he will be their next longtime, Pro Bowl-caliber center.

55, ILB Cole Holcomb, 6-1, 240: One of the better stories of the season is Holcomb’s full recovery from a serious 2023 knee injury to the point (barring something unforeseen) he will be in uniform for the season opener.

56, OLB Alex Highsmith, 6-4, 242: Highsmith has been a nice complement starting on the other side of Watt, but a spate of soft-tissue injuries over the past 11 months perhaps could get concerning.

62, C Ryan McCollum, 6-5, 300: While he can play guard as well, McCollum is a center specialist and would step in if anything happens to Frazier. McCollum had an injury-riddled camp.

64, G Max Scharping, 6-6, 325: A six-year NFL veteran with 33 career starts, Scharping joined the Steelers last Oct. 1 and has remained as depth on the interior.

66, G Mason McCormick, 6-5, 315: The Steelers used three premium picks over a two-year span to build 3/5 of their offensive line — but getting McCormick as another piece in 2024’s Round 4 might deliver the best bang for the buck.

67, OT Calvin Anderson, 6-5, 300: Signed three weeks into last season, Anderson played during the Steelers’ playoff game and was re-signed this spring. He has been promoted to the top backup “swing” tackle spot.

68, OL Andrus Peat, 6-7, 316: Brought in two weeks into training camp, Peat is now listed as a guard and brings 11 seasons, 126 games and three Pro Bowl berths worth of experience to the Steelers’ o-line depth.

72, DT Esezi Otomewo, 6-5, 282: Signed in March to serve as a depth defensive tackle, Otomewo has played in nine NFL games over the past three seasons. His preseason play earned him the 53-man spot.

73, G Isaac Seumalo, 6-4, 303: Embarking on his 10^th season and third with the Steelers, Seumalo is on an expiring contract. Though he’s been injury-prone throughout his career, he’s missed only four of 34 games with the Steelers.

74, OL Spencer Anderson, 6-5, 305: A 2023 seventh-round pick, Anderson is the top backup at guard. Can he be Seumalo’s successor? Anderson also takes some practice reps at tackle and even played some center in college.

76, OT Troy Fautanu, 6-4, 317: Coaches loved what they saw from last year’s first-round pick during his rookie training camp. But knee injuries limited Fautanu to one preseason and one regular-season game in 2024.

77, OT Broderick Jones, 6-5, 311: With a decision on his fifth-year option due next May, Jones enters his third season as the starter — finally — at his natural position of left tackle. Much rides on how he performs.

78, DT Yahya Black, 6-5, 330: Pound-for-pound relative to expectation level, Black was arguably the biggest star and most pleasant surprise of camp and the preseason — a fifth-round pick who looks like a solid longtime starter.

80, TE Darnell Washington, 6-7, 264: The massive Washington (don’t buy that listed weight) has been as-advertised as a blocker. This camp/preseason, he showed more receiving prowess. Is that a harbinger of things to come in 2025?

81, TE Jonnu Smith, 6-3, 248: Only three NFL tight ends last season had more catches than Smith (88). Only one had more touchdowns (eight). He re-joins coordinator Arthur Smith and his tight end-heavy scheme.

83, TE/FB Connor Heyward, 6-0, 230: The fourth tight end behind a stellar top three, Heyward still has a role in some packages. He’s the lone true fullback-capable player on the team and a quality special-teamer.

88, TE Pat Freiermuth, 6-5, 258: Freiermuth enters the first season of a four-year contract extension with 220 career receptions — the most by a tight end in franchise history over their first four years in the NFL.

90, OLB T.J. Watt, 6-4, 252: Given a three-year, $123 million extension in July, Watt is coming off what was a down season in regards to production — for him. Almost anyone else would take 11.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.

91, DT Logan Lee, 6-5, 291: After a “redshirt” rookie season spent on injured reserve, the former sixth-round pick from Iowa earned his way onto the active roster via a steady camp and preseason.

92, DT Isaiahh Loudermilk, 6-7, 293: The Steelers this spring brought Loudermilk back for a fifth season to serve a role similar to his prior four: a versatile, workmanlike and coachable depth defensive lineman.

95, DT Keeanu Benton, 6-4, 309: Similar to fellow 2023 second-round pick Porter, Benton had the look of an emerging star by the end of his rookie season. His 2024 wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t stellar either.

96, DT Daniel Ekuale, 6-3, 310: Signed to a one-year, $2.8 million contract in March, Ekuale is a seven-year vet of 57 games who last year for New England became a fulltime starter for the first time.

97, DT Cameron Heyward, 6-5, 295: At 36, can Heyward still play at an All Pro level? At 35, he did. Will his disgruntlement with his contract linger into the season, his 15^th with the Steelers?

99, DT Derrick Harmon, 6-4, 313: Harmon was having a camp and preseason in line with his pedigree as this spring’s 21st overall draft pick. But how much will the knee injury suffered in the preseason finale affect him?