Two-thirds of the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason is over, as Thursday night sets up the finale, and the last chance for players on the bubble to make their mark for a shot at the final 53-man roster. Week 2 of the exhibition slate had much more bad than it did good, but some players still put their best foot forward. So here is your 53-man projection after Week 2 of the Steelers preseason.

Offense (26)

Quarterback (4)

• In: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Drew Allar, Will Howard
• Out/Bubble: NA. Will Howard struggled vs. the Jets with INTs, and Mason Rudolph is now the clear QB2, but reports indicate that Howard and Allar are both safe, meaning the possibility of 4 quarterbacks lives on for another week.

Running back (4)

• In: Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Travis Homer; Riley Nowakowski (FB, special teams/versatility)
• Out/Bubble: Kaleb Johnson (fallen in rotation; minimal impact earlier, more work vs. Jets but still vulnerable as a possible one-and-done), Lew Nichols, Eli Heidenreich (versatile but struggled to separate). Homer’s special-teams value helps him.

Wide receiver (6)

• In: DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard, Ben Skowronek, Kaden Wetjen
• Out/Bubble: Brandon Smith (injured), Max Hurleman, others (Isaiah Winstead, Cornell Powell, etc.). Depth is thin; returns/special teams help Wetjen.

Tight end (3)

• In: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan (strong camp); possibly Riley Nowakowski counted here or at FB
• Out/Bubble: Lake McRee, Lance Mason, Jaheim Bell. Tonyan’s camp form edges him onto the 53 in several projections.

Offensive line (9)

• Tackles (4) In: Troy Fautanu, Broderick Jones, Dylan Cook, Max Iheanachor (rookie; limited/preseason availability notes)
• Interior (5) In: Zach Frazier (C), Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson, Brock Hoffman, Gennings Dunker
• Out/Bubble: Ryan McCollum, Jack Driscoll, Doug Nester, Greg Crippen (possible if numbers tighten). Jones’ availability and Iheanachor’s limited work are watched; total OL often 9–10.

View this post on Instagram

Defense (24)

Defensive line (6)

• In: Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Gabriel Rubio
• Out/Bubble: Esezi Otomewo, Dean Lowry, Anthony Goodlow, others. Rubio’s run defense helps him over veterans.

Outside linebacker / Edge (4)

• In: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
• Out/Bubble: Jamin Davis (flashed but hard to keep a 5th), Julius Welschof. Set group.

Inside linebacker (5)

• In: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Elandon Roberts (strong return vs. Jets), Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener
• Out/Bubble: Malik Harrison (snaps dried up), Jacoby Windmon. Roberts’ signing and play secure him; Bruener’s camp form keeps him over Harrison.

Cornerback (6)

• In: Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey (PUP status watched but projected back), Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., Brandin Echols, Daylen Everette
• Out/Bubble: D’Shawn Jamison, Devan Boykin, Doneiko Slaughter, Tamon Lynum, others. Injuries (Ramsey/Porter/Echols) create short-term uncertainty; Everette has impressed.

Safety (3)

• In: DeShon Elliott, Jaquan Brisker (injury notes), Robert Spears-Jennings
• Out/Bubble: Israel Mukuamu, Rayshawn Jenkins, Sebastian Castro, Jack Henderson, others. Depth is thin; external addition possible. Ramsey’s versatility can help coverage numbers.

Special teams (3)

In: Chris Boswell (K), Cameron Johnston (P), Christian Kuntz (LS) Out/Bubble: NA (

Key notes/bubble & IR

• Strong bubble / practice-squad candidates: Will Howard (if Steelers don’t go with 4 QBs), Kaleb Johnson, Lew Nichols, Eli Heidenreich, Jack Driscoll, D’Shawn Jamison, Israel Mukuamu, Sebastian Castro, Esezi Otomewo, Jamin Davis, Malik Harrison.
• Injuries/PUP/IR impact: Logan Lee already on IR earlier; Broderick Jones, Max Iheanachor, Ramsey, Porter Jr., Brandin Echols, Jaquan Brisker, others monitored. Some projections put Jones or a young OL on IR to free a spot.
• One more preseason game remains (vs. Bills) for final evaluations before cuts.