It may seem like the Pittsburgh Steelers were just putting the cap on their 2022 season but believe it or not Training Camp is right around the corner. As the Steelers prepare for their trip East to Latrobe, we’re getting ready too. We’ll be previewing the 90 players participating at St. Vincent College position by position. In this article we look at the inside linebackers.
Currently on the Roster
Cole Holcomb – 5th year
Nick Kwiatkoski – 8th year
Tanner Muse – 4th year
Elandon Roberts – 8th year
Chapelle Russell – 3rd year
Mark Robinson – 2nd year
Cole Holcomb
Holcomb signed as a free agent from Washington in the offseason. Along with his top-notch mullet he brings high energy and the type of inside backer presence the Steelers need. Whether he can be the third down LB the Steelers need is going to be up for serious debate. Holcomb is largely durable and is above average as a run stopper while being average as a man to man coverage backer. He showed the ability to sit in zone and position himself pretty well but whether he can be that sideline-to-sideline LB the Steelers need is 50/50. After playing in 43 games (starting 42 of them), he played in just seven in 2022 as he was sidelined with a foot injury that resulted in surgery.
2022 stats:
69 tackles
1 pass defended
Nick Kwiatkoski
The former West Virginia standout has appeared in 89 games with 34 starts during his career with Chicago, Las Vegas and Atlanta. Over the last two seasons however he’s appeared in just 20 of 34 games. He’s largely a run stopper who is limited athletically but make no mistake, he’s here largely here for his Special Teams prowess. With the Steelers losing Derek Watt and Benny Snell, that unit needs leadership, smarts and experience and Kwiatkoski has that.
2022 stats:
7 tackles
Tanner Muse
Muse was a guy the Steelers really liked when he was coming out of Clemson. The biggest he was for him was where to play him. He had some skills that translated to both safety and linebacker but he also had key limitations in both areas too. Last season in Seattle he appeared in all 17 games earning one start. He will be strictly a Special Teams player and could appear in some specialty defensive packages as a dime backer.
2022 stats:
16 tackles
Elandon Roberts
The two=time Super Bowl Champ comes to the Steelers from his stint with Miami. Early in his career in New England, Roberts played all over the defensive formation. Over his last three seasons though he’s been on the inside primarily. Roberts has been incredibly durable playing in 13 or more games for seven straight seasons. He’s coming off of his biggest year in the NFL collecting over 100 tackles while playing in all 17 games. The question for Roberts is how often is he on the field? He’s known to be more of a “thumper” than Holcomb and is less likely to be a three-down backer. His overall experience and knowledge is most welcome at the position and that ultimately could be the biggest impact he has early on.
2022 stats:
107 tackles
10 tackles for loss
4.5 sacks
Chapelle Russell
A former dual-threat QB in high school, Russell has suffered two torn ACLs in the same knee in back to back years. His resilience paid off as he was drafted by Tampa Bay in 2020. He has tremendous athleticism, is as tough as nails and plays his butt off his lack of experience at the position has shown. His only route to a roster spot is through Special Teams right now.
Mark Robinson
The best way to describe Robinson is that he’s a heat-seeking missile who has overachieved yet still has work to do. There’s no questioning his effort and willingness in the run game. He brings everything he’s got and while there’s an occasional miss, he’s a pretty sound tackler. In order to get on the field more often though he has to demonstrate that he can cover against the pass. When Camp begins, that’s going to be the very first thing I’m looking at in regards to Robinson. At this point, he’s the number three ILB.
Roster Projections
Holcomb, Roberts, Robinson, Muse
Russell – Practice Squad
Kwiatkoski – Cut
