The Steelers are a team straddling two timelines this season. In one lane, they are a team tied for the oldest average age of players (27.1) in the NFL. In the other lane, they are a roster that features 29 players aged 26 years old or younger.
That total includes a handful of players currently on injured lists, but not the practice squad, save for running back Lew Nichols, who was on the active roster this past week. Considering that rosters have just 53 spots, and only 48 can be active on game day,
that’s a lot of youth for a team whose average age is spiked by featuring players like Aaron Rodgers (42), Cam Heyward (37), Chris Boswell (35), and Cameron Johnston (34), not to mention guys like T.J. Watt (32) and Jalen Ramsey (31).
Heading into the season, both members of Read & React predicted the Steelers would be the AFC’s seventh seed, with the expectation of a similar win total to what they accomplished in 2025. Pittsburgh is currently 3-2 and would miss the playoffs as the ninth seed if the season were to end today. While it thankfully does not, the chances of this team putting fans through a rollercoaster of a year remains fairly high.
Following last week’s victory over the Colts, Steelers fans are currently riding one of the upswings in that metaphorical coaster. As such, Read & React thought this would be a good time to take a longer view and take stock of the Steelers’ young players.
We will be sorting the players 26 and under on the roster into tiers:
- Franchise cornerstones — these are the players we believe are most important to this franchise. While we mostly believe these players are those who’ve already proven they are good to some degree, we aren’t fitting them for gold jackets and the Ring of Honor just yet either. Most of them still have plenty to prove, and we acknowledge that career trajectories for young players can take sudden and unexpected turns. That said, if the Steelers want to get back to championship contention, this group of players will need to be instrumental and team leaders in that effort.
- Quality starters and role players — Not every player can be a franchise cornerstone. But while great teams have a fair share of superstars, they also tend to have a quality collection of guys willing to do the dirty work and take less of the credit while serving the great goal of the team. These players are ones who might not ever be superstars, but are players we think can contribute to the next chapter of the Steelers in a positive way.
- Need to see more (but trending positive) — Players in this tier have only seen limited playing time, but have left a decent enough impression to have reason to hope they can develop into contributors.
- Need to see more (or hasn’t played) — Pretty self-explanatory. These players haven’t played, and thus make it hard to give a real assessment.
- Never say never, but… — Anything is possible, and we don’t want to write anyone off. But these are players where it’s reasonable to question their impact or spot on the roster beyond 2026.
Now you may be asking, “Why 26?” The answer is relatively straightforward. Players are often considered to be entering their athletic primes between the ages of 27-29. That’s roughly the age group where they’ve spent their rookie contract in the league and have earned a second contract. There are several 26-year-olds on Pittsburgh’s roster who are still working towards a second contract, while a handful of younger players were handed extensions this summer, for example.
We’ll break it all down for you.
Franchise cornerstones
Zach Frazier, C
RB: While this list is a very loose “ranking,” Frazier was an obvious No. 1 choice. He’s established himself as one of the league’s top centers with outstanding strength, toughness and recovery/anchor. He’ll be an expensive name to keep around as contract negotiations loom in 2027, but that’s a good problem to have as Frazier has developed into the quite literal centerpiece of the Steelers’ offensive line rebuild in recent seasons. He’s undoubtedly a long-term starter, and his mobility remains an underrated aspect of his game.
Max Iheanachor, OT
RP: His career is still very young, but even at just 22 years old, there’s an argument that could be made that Iheanachor is already the most talented of Pittsburgh’s starting tackles. That’s no knock against another Steeler who will soon be joining this list; that just speaks to the potential the rookie out of Arizona State is already beginning to realize. Sure, the Cleveland game had a few warts, but overall Iheanachor has been a shot in the arm for an offensive line that was struggling mightily the first two weeks without him in the lineup. He allowed zero pressures last week against the Colts, and he’s shown he can be an asset in the running game. It’s no coincidence that the Steelers running game took off once he was inserted into the lineup. If the Steelers are going to return to the upper echelon of the AFC, Iheanachor’s continued development will play a huge part in that.
Troy Fautanu, OT
RB: A college left tackle turned right tackle turned left tackle again, Fautanu’s NFL career hasn’t been without its rough points after injury prevented him from playing most of his rookie season. But aside from still-occasional lapses in technique and when dealing with power rushes, Fautanu has overwhelmingly looked the part of an ascending long-term starter. He has a powerful punch, a mobile base in pass protection and plays with more violence than he’s typically given credit for.
Nick Herbig, OLB
RB: The Steelers’ increased usage of Herbig as an inside linebacker this season has diminished his once-elite efficiency as a pass rusher, but I’m not too worried about his long-term fit in the Pittsburgh defense. Only 108 of Herbig’s 158 snaps this season have come at an edge alignment per NFL Pro, and his quarterback pressure rate has dropped below double digits for the first time of his career at 6.3% so far this season, with no sacks through five games. Still, his signature quickness hasn’t diminished — defensive coordinator Patrick Graham just needs to find better ways to use Herbig’s skill set, which should come down the road when he’s not the team’s No. 3 outside linebacker anymore. It’s also worth noting that Herbig has a bit more power and run-stopping ability than his speed-rushing profile might indicate.
Darnell Washington, TE
RP: The Steelers have already handed Washington a second contract, and it’s not hard to see why. There just isn’t another playmaker in the NFL who combines his size, fluid movement, contact balance, and desire to put opponents in the dirt quite like Washington. Widely regarded as one of the best blocking tight ends in the league, that alone would be enough to cement Mount Washington as a franchise cornerstone. But add on his increasingly growing involvement as a pass catcher and his ability to turn plays into explosive gains simply by refusing to be tackled, and the Steelers have found themselves one of the NFL’s true unicorns.
Quality starters and role players
Mason McCormick, OG
RP: Heading into the 2024 NFL draft, the Steelers offensive line needed a makeover. It had been a long time since the Black and Gold’s offensive line had displayed the sort of nasty demeanor that had defined the team’s best offenses of the 21st century. That’s why I was elated when they took a chance on one of my favorite mid-round guard prospects that year in McCormick. He didn’t test out of the gym at the combine, and he came from an FCS school, South Dakota. But McCormick is what trench play enthusiasts call loving refer to as a junkyard dog. The Steelers will have to make some tough choices in the next few years about which of their young offensive lineman they retain with second contracts. I’m hoping McCormick is one of them.
Keeanu Benton, DT
RB: Often miscast as a nose tackle to start his career, Benton emerged as a valuable interior rusher last year with a strong 5.5-sack season, earning him a four-year, $72-million extension this season with the Steelers. Like Herbig, Benton has also failed to log a sack since getting paid, but his impact has gone beyond the stat sheet. Despite playing more defensive end this year, Benton is one of the most double-teamed defensive linemen in football, and has responded by being more sound in run defense. He remains an athletic, heavy-handed pass rusher on the interior who may not hit stardom in his NFL career, but should continue to ascend.
Derrick Harmon, DT
RB: Harmon is a tough player to rank as he has just 16 NFL games under his belt thus far, missing some of his rookie campaign and now at least four games of his 2026 with injury. However, in the four games we have seen from Harmon this season, he has almost tripled his pressure rate from last season (14.3% vs. 5.7%) and already hit 1.5 sacks — half of his total from last year. He’s still refining his technique, but remains a big, powerful presence in the trenches who’s already a solid run-stuffer. It’s still too early to place Harmon in the “cornerstone” tier even if he was clearly drafted to fill that role once Cam Heyward calls it a career.
Germie Bernard, WR
RP: The Steelers rookie receiver could very well find himself in the cornerstone tier in the near future, but with so few games under his belt, I’m willing to temper my expectations a smidge. That said, I think the Steelers have found their version of the Puka Nacua archetype. That isn’t to say I believe Bernard will have the same prolific stats as the Rams superstar receiver, but the way that Pittsburgh can deploy him should remind football fans of how Los Angeles uses Nacua. Bernard has excellent contact balance and can get open quickly in the underneath and intermediate areas of the field. We saw against the Colts how the Steelers were able to lean on him as a high-volume option. Bernard converted six of his eight targets into catches for a total of 80 yards. He averaged 13.3 yards per catch despite an average depth of target of just 6.6 yards. But that isn’t the only similarity to Nacua. Bernard is also a smart and willing blocker. This week, watch how many times the Steelers use the rookie as an insert block between a tight end and a tackle, or a tackle and a guard. Using Bernard in this way has quickly become a staple of their running game. He’s also a willing and smart blocker downfield when he’s away from the ball.
Payton Wilson, LB
RB: One of the hardest players to rank on this list, Wilson has had an NFL career marked by some dizzying highs and lows. His athleticism can pop off the screen, with Wilson flying around the field at points this season, but he continues to struggle with missed tackles and being in the right spot in coverage. Under the tutelage of Patrick Graham in 2026, Wilson seems to be supplementing his speed with more confidence and physicality, but the consistency still hasn’t always been there. Now in Year 3, the hope of a breakout into a true every-down player for Wilson is lower but certainly not off the table — he’s a unique player but not exactly someone who the team is expected to break the bank for when his rookie contract runs out.
Jack Sawyer, OLB
RP: Sawyer lacks the explosive athleticism to ever be a top-end option as a pass rusher, but that doesn’t diminish his value as a role player on this team. The Steelers have leaned heavily on playing Sawyer in obvious rushing downs for the offense — 45 of his 86 defensive snaps have come against run plays per PFF— which has limited his opportunities to create pressures and sacks on opposing quarterbacks. However, it has allowed Pittsburgh to spell T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Per Next Gen Stats, Sawyer has racked up 8 stops this season on his limited snap count. Sawyer might never be a star, but he’s the type of selfless player willing to do the dirty work that teams appreciate in a rotational player.
Yahya Black, DT
RB: Black had a breakout preseason in 2025 but sunk back down to earth in the regular season. In 2026, he’s started to look more like the strong role player at nose tackle he was drafted to be. You simply can’t teach Black’s size and length (6’5, 330 pounds, 35-inch arms), and it shows on tape. Black played the third-most snaps of a Steelers’ defensive lineman in the team’s shutdown performance against Jonathan Taylor versus the Colts, but also showed some promise power-rushing the pocket. For a fifth-round pick in a defensive line rotation, Black is on an impressive trajectory thus far in his career.
Carson Bruener, LB
RB: Bruener was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s all-rookie squad and the second-team PFF All-Pro Team last year for a 19-tackle effort on special teams in his first NFL season. Not bad for a seventh-round pick. He’s on a similar pace this year with five special teams tackles so far, and although Mike McCarthy doesn’t do season-long captains, Bruener has seemingly emerged as Pittsburgh’s new de facto leader in the third phase of the game. I’d be interested to see Bruener get some more opportunities on defense at some point, but for now, he’s already built a valuable role for himself on the team.
Need to see more (but trending positive)
Robert Spears-Jennings, S
RP: I’ll admit, I was skeptical of the Spears-Jennings selection this April. I viewed Spears-Jennings as more athlete than football player at this stage of his development, but Spears-Jennings has shown considerable growth since arriving in Pittsburgh. I’m still not ready to say he’s a long-term solution at safety for the Steelers, but I am excited to see if he can continue to develop and become more of an impact player on a down-to-down basis. At worst, he’s proven to be a valuable special teams asset.
Roman Wilson, WR
RB: Much like the other Wilson on this list, Wilson’s inconsistencies make him a tough player to gauge when looking at the future of this Steelers roster. To recap, Roman Wilson missed nearly all of his rookie season with injury, failed to break into one of the league’s worst receiver rooms in 2025, and then has spent much of 2026 taking steps forward followed by frustrating steps backwards. And finally, with Wilson seeming to emerge in the offense with back-to-back 60-plus yard, one-touchdown performances against the Browns and Bengals this season, he’s expected to miss several weeks following an injury against the Colts. If Wilson can leave the mental mistakes behind, his easy-moving speed stands out in a Pittsburgh receiving room that’s struggled to separate from man coverage this season. But he still has a lot to prove.
Daylen Everette, CB
RP: Everette has a long way to go in his development before I’m ready to count him as a reliable starter. That said, there are moments where he shows flashes of the potential that made the Steelers feel comfortable investing a third-round pick in him. Everette has all the physical tools you could want in a modern cornerback. Injuries at the position and trading away Joey Porter Jr. have thrown the Georgia rookie into the fire sooner than I would have preferred, but here’s hoping that fire molds him and doesn’t break him. I’m more optimistic about that now than I was in April.
Gabe Rubio, DT
RP: The only reason Rubio is in this section instead of the tier above is because the 14 snaps he played last Sunday were the first of his career. Who knows if he’ll ever contribute much as a pass rusher – I think he can with coaching — but he’s already convinced me he’s a certified hoss against the run.
Riley Nowakowski, FB
RP: As a fullback — and a rookie one at that — we haven’t got to see a ton of Nowakowski on offense. Just 20 offensive snaps to date. I’m hoping the Steelers start to increase that number, especially with how effective the power running game has been. I think he’ll get more looks as his career goes on, and I’m hopeful he can become a role player with what he’s put on tape in limited opportunities.
Lew Nichols, RB
RP: 2025’s Isaac Redman Award winner, Nichols is included on this list because he was finally on the active list last week against the Colts. He only received one carry, but in typical Nichols fashion, he made the most of it by gaining six yards. He’s since reverted back to the practice squad and may never get a more consistent role. That said, I wouldn’t mind him getting some more looks at the Pittsburgh RB2 should injuries persist on the roster. He always seems to show up when given a chance.
Need to see more (or hasn’t played)
Drew Allar, QB; Kevin Jobity, DT; Kaden Wetjen, WR; Will Howard, QB
RB: Allar had about as promising a preseason as you could’ve reasonably expected, showing off his arm talent but still struggling with accuracy against not-great completion (it should be pointed out his preseason receivers didn’t do him many favors, either). Is he a future franchise quarterback? The safe answer is always “probably not,” but he hasn’t ruled himself out yet, which is good news. Allar perfectly fits this category: He just hasn’t played enough.
Jobity might be a forgotten name on the Steelers’ 53-man roster (he’s been an inactive every week), but even making it that far is a feat considering he was an undrafted free agent for a team that drafted 10 players in that same class. His effort as a pass rusher and athleticism was a fun watch in the preseason, but we’ve yet to see him take a rep against a starting NFL offensive lineman.
Wetjen is another tough player to rank as I couldn’t in good faith put him in the “trending positive” category given the Steelers rank last in the league in yards per kick return despite drafting the Iowa return specialist in the fourth round specifically to combat that problem. Yes, the blocking in front of him hasn’t been stellar, but Wetjen’s speed and vision haven’t translated the best to the pros, and he’s had some ball security troubles throughout the pre- and regular season.
Wetjen hasn’t even logged 50 career NFL returns yet — there’s a reason I don’t have him in the lowest tier of this article at the moment — but so far, he hasn’t done much to justify the early Day 3 pick spent to acquire him. He needs to provide a consistent spark before the season ends.
Howard has even more limited experience, with just the 2026 preseason under his belt, but it was a bit of a mess for a player whose calling card was stability over raw talent. Howard sticking around on the Steelers’ 53-man roster in 2026 shows the team still has some belief in his abilities, but not beating out Mason Rudolph isn’t a great sign, and of Pittsburgh’s current quarterback room, all the eyes will be on Drew Allar in 2027. Still, I’d argue a solid QB2 role isn’t completely out of the question just yet.
Gennings Dunker, OG; Eli Heidenreich, RB/WR; Doneiko Slaughter, CB
RP: Two rookies and a second-year player in Slaughter. You’d have to imagine the Steelers have plans for Dunker in their future after they spent a third-round pick on him. However, he’s rawer than I think most fans realize and is a bit stiff. I’d project his ceiling as somewhere around a McCormick level, which the Steelers would obviously be thrilled with. Hard to say until he takes the field against real competition, though.
Personally, I wish the Steelers would give Heidenreich a look at some punt and kick return duties, but he’s been a game-day inactive thus far in his career. The Steelers have viewed him more as a running back thus far, but I’m curious if they’ll reach a point where they give him a shot at receiver with the injuries mounting at the position. For now, they seem happy to leave him inactive and dip into their practice squad for Brandon Smith.
Doneiko Slaughter has been a cool story, but has yet to see any defensive snaps. He’s been a contributor on special teams each of the past three weeks.
Never say never, but…
Donte Kent, CB; Spencer Anderson, OL
RB: You could argue both of these players could fit in a higher tier. Kent has yet to play an NFL snap, but now in Year 2 as a seventh-round pick, he’s going to struggle to stick around with injury issues in a position group that’s always crowded.
Anderson is a highly-versatile backup who made a role for himself in the team’s jumbo packages under Arthur Smith last season. But in 2026, it became immediately apparent that Anderson wasn’t a starting-caliber guard, with Brock Hoffman quickly making a bigger impact once the former was benched. Anderson is certainly a roster-able player, but not a notable part of the Steelers’ roster moving forward.
Logan Lee, DT
RP: Lee has spent more time on the injured list than on the active roster, now in his third NFL season. I’ll never write a guy off entirely; we’ve seen crazier things happen, but it’s hard to envision him getting his career turned around at this point.
Join in on Steelers R&R by sharing your takes on this week’s topics. Feel free to pitch future questions in the comment section or on Twitter/X: tag @_Ryland_B or @RyanParishMedia, or email us at steelersreadnreact@gmail.com.
