While the Pittsburgh Steelers are now enjoying their summer prior to Training Camp, we’re going to spend some time previewing the positions. From the locks to the guys who are just ‘camp bodies’ we’ll take a look at all of the guys competing at St. Vincent College in Latrobe.
Outside Backers
On the Roster: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer, Julius Welschof, KJ Henry, Jamin Davis
*Henry was released this week to make room for DB Ahmari Harvey.
What We Know: Few positions on the roster are as set as this one. That said, the competition for playing time between Highsmith and Herbig could be the most interesting part of this position. Former 2021 first round draft pick Jamin Davis was signed after a tryout. He’s trying to move from off-ball LB to EDGE rusher.
What We Don’t Know: About the only thing we don’t know is how Patrick Graham plans to use his outside backers. We heard Watt at the end of the mini-camp this spring suggest that moving around the formation was something that would actually happen. The past couple of seasons under Teryl Austin we heard that Watt was “open” to this but it never materialized. Confidence seems high that this season will be different.
There is the question of whether the Steelers are open to trading Highsmith but for 2026 I believe all three of the top guys will play. We cannot deny the fact that both Highsmith and Herbig have dealt with injuries. Each has suffered soft tissue ailments. Highsmith has struggled with groin and ankle issues while Herbig has mostly dealt with hamstring problems. That means that Sawyer – who is often forgotten in this conversation – may see his importance growing. Sawyer saw action in all 17 games in his rookie campaign starting one. He picked up his first career sack and a pair of interceptions. While he isn’t as sudden or as experienced as the others, his significance is still crucial to the defense and Special Teams units.
As the team’s “International Player” Welschof gives the Steelers roster flexibility as his presence gives the Steelers a 91st player in Camp. Should he not make the 53-man roster then he would go through the normal waiver process. If he clears waivers, the Steelers can keep him on their Practice Squad as an extra player.
Davis will be a fascinating watch as he tries to become an outside backer. He entered the league with limited experience in college at Kentucky but had tremendous upside due to size, length and athleticism. At just under 6’4″ he has plenty of height, but whether he can handle the chore of setting the edge at 234lbs is a significant question.
How It Shakes Out: The final outcome for this group is quite simple to predict. What I’m most curious about as of this writing is whether the Steelers will add more bodies before Camp. Now that Henry is gone, there is no one else besides Welschof and Davis to take reps during Camp. Because of the uncertainty around Graham’s defense, we could see some of the off ball linebackers get opportunities here but that seems far-fetched right now. Look for the Steelers to add some guys before or early on in Camp.
Keep in mind that injuries during Camp and the Preseason always have a way of factoring into these decisions.
