Steelers' Training Camp Surprise Is A Long Shot To Make The Team

The Pittsburgh Steelers are kicking off training camp in Latrobe with a new coach, Mike McCarthy, at the helm, along with new practice times and schematics. This should keep everyone fresh and motivated. As with any training camp, some players emerge as surprises as they try to make the 53-man roster. In Pittsburgh's case, there are multiple positions where battles are occurring between existing depth pieces on the roster. This leaves the door open for some underrated guys to insert their names into the conversation. 

One of the most recent players who has defied the odds similarly is former undrafted free agent (UDFA) Jaylen Warren, who impressed in the backs-on-backers drill during training camp in 2022, where he made a name for himself by standing up against much bigger linebackers. 

Going forward, he showed out throughout the remainder of camp and preseason and earned a roster spot. Since then, he has become the team's starter and is considered a rare diamond-in-the-rough type of player. 

Every camp usually has some of these players, but oftentimes they are just depth players in the end. Warren is a special case, but already there are some names who are looking like they could nab a roster spot should everything go their way. In this year's training camp, wide receiver Brandon Smith has emerged as a candidate to be one of those training camp surprises. 

He has been working with the first and second teams in practice so far, and has caught the eyes of many following camp. However, writer Jim Wexell believes that there's a lot more that Smith needs to do before he can be considered a camp sleeper. He revealed this on an episode of his podcast where he broke down practice on August 1st. 

"Brandon Smith's been working in front of us and I haven't seen all that much. Nice body, nice speed.  There will be six guys; anybody else really is going to have to star in preseason, but Brandon Smith, I don't know," Wexell said. 

The former Iowa Hawkeye has spent his last two seasons as a member of the New York Jets where he only received a few snaps over the last two seasons. He was signed as a camp body in Pittsburgh, just to see if there was anything there, and clearly there could be, considering he's spending time with some of the Steelers' starters. Smith was signed to a futures contract in January and could make a splash in a receiver room that lacks a lot of back-end depth. 

Smith has only appeared in three games in his professional career and is doing everything he can to make the roster. However, he'll have to prove he's more than just a camp body and someone who can fill in in case of injury and provide solid depth. 

There is a place for that on this team, but a solid preseason will only help Smith's cause. Smith will have the opportunity to work with Pittsburgh's young quarterbacks in preseason and can show what he can do in an actual game. This will be where he gets a full evaluation and could be a candidate to make the squad. 

Steelers' Wide Receiving Corps Could Have An Opening

As mentioned before, the Steelers don't have a ton beyond their top-four receivers; there could be a mixture of depth there, but the question is: who? Some players like Smith or AT Perry could be some choices to be the last receiver added to the team, which adds yet another storyline to camp. This is why someone like Smith or Perry has a golden opportunity in the Steel City. 

The team lacked top-end talent at the position in 2025, but with some upgrades, there are some solidified starters, but the depth wasn't necessarily addressed. The preseason should provide answers on how the receiver corps will shake out, which should add some excitement to these upcoming preseason games. 

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