It's officially less than one week until the Pittsburgh Steelers start the 2022 season. The Steelers will play three preseason games this year with two being played at their home field Acrisure Stadium and one on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even though team records in the preseason don't carry any significance, many athletes' futures are decided by these games. These next three games are crucial for 80-85% of the roster and we will focus on the offense in this article. I will predict statistical leaders in passing, rushing, and receiving for the black and gold for the entirety of the preseason below.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Chris Oladokun, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky participate in phase two of the voluntary off-season workout program, Thursday, May 19, 2022, at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. | Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Passing Statistics:
The Steelers will likely utilize all four quarterbacks in their three preseason games this year. Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, and Chris Oladokun are the four quarterbacks on the roster and sit on the depth chart in that order. Trubisky would be the starter if the season opened today, but it's unlikely he will get a free pass this preseason. The Steelers will want to see what they have in him especially since he sat out a majority of last year.
Rudolph likely won't play much as the Steelers have seen what he is capable of over his first four seasons in the league. Pickett, the Steelers' first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, may get his only significant action in the preseason this year so he's likely to play the most out of all four guys. Oladokun, who has taken minimal team reps during training camp, has an uphill climb to get significant playing time in the preseason.
Prediction: Pickett. This should come as no surprise as the Steelers will be anxious to see what their shiny new toy is capable of. Pickett may not play much at the beginning of games this preseason, but his volume should be significant by the end of August. Pittsburgh won't want to play Trubisky a ton to protect him for the regular season, and as previously stated, this coaching regime is already aware of what Rudolph is capable of. I predict Pickett will have at least 40 passing attempts for over 300 yards and at least two scores in his first preseason as a rookie.
Credit: Steelers.com
Rushing Statistics:
This is a three-horse race in mind. The Steelers won't have the star running back Najee Harris on the field in the preseason. Fourth-year running back Benny Snell will see some playing time, but likely nothing significant as like Rudolph, the coaching staff is already aware of what Snell's capabilities are. That leaves third-year running back Anthony McFarland and two undrafted rookie free agents in Jaylen Warren and Mataeo Durant.
McFarland has battled injuries through the good portion of his career and could be a potential fringe roster guy. Warren has made a flash so far in training camp and Durant signed the largest undrafted free agent contract in team history for a running back. All three could see significant time in the preseason with the incumbent McFarland having the upper hand based on his previous ties to offensive coordinator Matt Canada at the University of Maryland.
Prediction: Warren. The Steelers love to give UDFA players a chance in the preseason and this preseason will be no different. The black and gold are hurting for a significant player behind Harris to back them up and Warren could prove he is that guy. I predict Warren to lead the Steelers in all significant rushing categories and to amass at least 30 rushes for 125 yards and a touchdown in the three preseason games for the Steelers.
Receiving Statistics:
There are currently 12 players on the roster for Pittsburgh that play the wide receiver position and five that play the tight end position, so this is wide open. Obvious exclusions are the incumbent players that have already earned positions and aren't going to be utilized much to ensure their availability for the start of the regular season. I also don't expect to see a ton from second-round pick George Pickens as he has already been named a starter and has proved his ability in camp thus far.
Credit: JSKO Photo
Prediction: Antony Miller. The Steelers picked up Miller off waivers in the middle of last season from the Houston Texans and he has flashed so far in camp. Miller, who played with Trubisky for a couple of seasons with the Chicago Bears, seems to have a good chance to make this roster and may end up playing significant time this preseason. I predict Miller to haul in at least 15 passes for over 150 yards and two scores for the black and gold this preseason.
Who do you predict to lead the Steelers in passing, rushing, and receiving in the preseason? Sound off in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
