Every year, training camp serves as the proving ground in the NFL where players either carve out a role or fall by the wayside. Naturally, fans root for as many players as possible to make their case in camp to stick with the final 53-man roster. That is no different for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But some players face camp with the odds stacked against them, with either an uphill battle to get on the field for meaningful snaps or to simply stick on the 53-man roster.
The five players below are overcoming those odds with one week of training camp in the books.
Five Steelers making strong impressions early in training camp
Tight End Darnell Washington
Darnell Washington has benefited from Jonnu Smith's absence early in camp, for sure. But it’s no less a good sign to see him on the receiving end of Aaron Rodgers’ passes frequently early in camp.
The offensive tackle-sized tight end has been seen throughout camp making plays as a receiver, including a touchdown catch in seven shots on Friday.
— Baku 🐧 (@Mazursky8895) July 26, 2025
Washington dropped 10+ pounds before minicamp, and it’s clearly paying off in his receiving production.
Smith is back in action and figures to be a prominent player in the Steelers' passing game. How Washington performs once Smith is back in full force will give a bigger indication of how much the third-year tight end will contribute as the season approaches.
Odds are, Washington will still serve primarily as a blocking tight end on Sundays, but if he keeps up his receiving production through camp, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith may be inclined to give him a few extra targets after seeing just 25 a season ago.
Quarterback Will Howard
Sixth-round pick Will Howard has a ceiling on his goal for training camp: win the third-string job. There’s no getting past Mason Rudolph without injuries playing a factor.
With Skylar Thompson serving as his competition, it was expected that the national champion QB to pull that off. Early in camp, he’s already getting the bulk of the third-team reps, so he’s close to being able to check that goal off.
However, many Steelers fans want to see enough out of Howard for him to give the Steelers’ front office something to think about heading into 2026, with Rodgers likely retiring after the season. That’s where he’s defying expectations, because based on what he’s showcased, he’s making a strong argument.
He’s stayed in Rodgers’ hip pocket and is taking in as much from the future Hall of Famer as he possibly can. He’s putting it to work too, using his cadence to force a blitzing nickel to reveal himself, then following through with a completion behind the pressure.
His preseason performance will have to speak for his chances since, outside of outright catastrophe, he won’t get any opportunities once September hits. Still, he’s done all any quarterback in his position can do and just a little bit more.
Safety Sebastian Castro
The other four players on this list are practically locks to make the 53-man roster. That’s not the case for Castro as an undrafted rookie. Still, he’s positioned as the most likely of the undrafted rookies to make the roster.
Castro has lined up as a nickel corner and at strong safety in camp, mostly playing with the second string, with Miles Killebrew manning the other safety spot. That rotation has been shaken up a bit with Chuck Clark joining the team on Friday.
Of course, Castro’s path to making the roster is special teams, where he’s logged some reps, though not quite yet with the starting lineup in the third phase.
The preseason games should provide ample opportunity for Castro to show what he can do, as he should get plenty of reps there with the Steelers not wanting to put DeShon Elliott and Killebrew at risk. That’s where he’ll find his chance to stick and make the roster the hard way.
READ MORE: 3 Steelers undrafted free agents worth keeping an eye on in training camp
Linebacker Cole Holcomb
Having only played in 15 games over the past three seasons, Cole Holcomb is in a precarious position as he returns from a devastating injury that cut his promising first season in Pittsburgh short. Now that he’s back, he returns to a linebacker room that looks completely different outside of Mark Robinson near the bottom of the depth chart.
Holcomb isn’t fighting for a starting job with Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson entrenched as the top two backers. However, the role vacated by Elandon Roberts as the top run defender in short-yardage situations is up for grabs. Holcomb isn’t quite the same thumping-style linebacker as Roberts is, but at 29 years old on Tuesday, he doesn’t have much other choice.
The good news is that Holcomb looks fluid and comfortable on the field. From mini-camp and through the first week of training camp, he’s been on the field and looks great without many signs of distress in his movement from the knee injury.
It’s not easy for linebackers to stick out before the pads come on in camp, but just the fact that Holcomb is healthy, taking reps with the reserves and on special teams, and moving around without impairment is the best sign that his odds of making the roster and contributing on defense are steadily rising.
Wide Receiver Roman Wilson
Just like Washington, Wilson has benefited from Jonnu Smith missing the start of camp. In 11 personnel, Wilson was the third receiver in with DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III, who has been confirmed as the No. 2 receiver. Once Smith is back, Wilson will likely take a step back on the depth chart.
Still, Wilson has been A: healthy, and B: involved with the starters. That speaks to what he’s showcasing in individual drills, because he hasn’t been too productive in team drills yet.
Just like Austin before him, it’s a tough climb back to the lineup for Wilson after missing practically all of his rookie season. But he’s followed up just like Austin did by showing he can stay healthy and stay involved near the top of the depth chart.
He’s bound to get more looks in the preseason games, where he’s going to need to make the most of his opportunities. But all signs indicate that he’ll rotate in plenty during the regular season as well, which is a comforting sign to every Steelers fan, whether they doubted him or hoped he’d make a similar comeback effort.
