With the Pittsburgh Steelers finishing up the ‘on-field competition’ portion of their 2024 preseason, it’s time to turn our attention to this coming Tuesday, August 27 at 4 PM. What happens at that time? Well, that’s the deadline for NFL teams to reduce their rosters to the official 53 Man Roster. There will inevitably be Practice Squad signings in the hours and days that follow, and then a couple more practices leading up to the first week of the 2024 NFL Season.

The Steelers dropped their latest contest with the Detroit Lions 24-17, but the bigger take away of that game is that the Offense finally showed signs of life after looking stagnant in the first two games. The advantage of those first two games, though, is that it gave the coaching staff extended looks to guys on defense, where admittedly, most of this year’s Keisel Award nominees reside.

I was fortunate to have some firsthand, up close and personal looks at the 2024 iteration of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as I took my 2nd son to his very first Steelers experience when they faced off against the Texans. He had a great time with the whole experience, but admittedly, I was also using the opportunity to scout what everyone had long been waiting to see: how would all the new pieces fall into place with a new scheme on offense, and how great could the defense really be?

When sitting in the stands, you get a whole different perspective than what you see on a TV broadcast. There were players that obviously flashed, such as Payton Wilson. That guy is going to be an absolute beast in a year’s time when he puts it all together and the game slows down for him. He was over-pursuing plays and players because he doesn’t have the experience to know his angles at the NFL level just yet, but dang, that guy was all OVER the place.

Then there were other players, such as the ones we will get to in a second, that may not have jumped out of the screen for viewers at home, but were obvious when sitting live in the stands. Then there were those that seemed to either disappear or were not effective enough to see the field a lot.

There are 3 games worth of film for the Steelers staff to comb thru in the next couple of days, and some hard decisions to be made regarding who will make the 53 Man Roster and who won’t. I’m not here to debate the merits of whether these players are going to make the roster or not, as Brett Keisel himself had his own version of adversity when he was injured before his second season, requiring shoulder surgery that caused him to miss the entire season. Having been injured in Camp, and the fact that he was a 2nd year player, there was no guarantee he was going to stick around and even be on the team next year (see: Breiden Fehoko circa 2024).

I am simply here to present the candidates and their body of work. It is up to YOU to decide who made the most impact in your eyes. The ‘ol Armchair GM “Eye Test” so to speak.

Beanie Bishop, Cornerback (7 Total Tackles, 6 Solo) – Obviously, when you land on the first roster of the season as a rookie, you’ve done SOMETHING right, even if that means you are just the first to occupy the position. Bishop did not play in the second preseason game against Buffalo for what Coach Tomlin called “a precaution” from an injury scare from the day before in the Bills/Steelers joint practice. Still, the Mountaineer held his own against the Texans and Lions, showing the grit and determination that completely offsets any concerns about his size against NFL competition. SCN Contributor Shannon White spoke so highly of those traits all offseason after the Steelers acquired Bishop as a Undrafted Free Agent, and they have been earned for sure.

Ryan Watts, Cornerback (13 Total Tackles, 9 Solo) – When at the Texans game, this is the guy that I noticed most besides “Mad Dog” Payton Wilson. His ability to shadow not only the Slot WR’s from the Texans, but also the Tight End’s made it easy for him to standout. That probably had a little to do with his size as well, as he looked every bit of his 6′ 2″ 215lb frame. I remember that on Demarvin Leal’s sack in the 2nd Quarter, it was Watts’ ability to shadow the Slot CB that allowed Leal the time to get to the QB. Davis Mills’ (Texans QB) primary look was to that WR that Watts was covering, and Mills had to pump fake and then ultimately pull the ball down due to Watt’ coverage. His status is somewhat up in the air currently due to a possible stinger/concussion sustained during the Lions game when he took a knee to the head, but he flashed well for a 7th Round pick.

Cory Trice Jr, Cornerback (4 Total Tackles, 3 Solo, 3 TFL’s) – Expected to make an impact this year after having to sit all of last season, Trice was a question mark coming into the season due to a knee injury. He kept a low profile through camp, but flashed on the field, as he was coming downhill effectively for screen’s and generally blowing up the quick passing game. I gave him the “so far, so good” status during the early portion of camp, and he has built off of those last two camps to put himself in solid position to make the Roster. He too, is nursing a perceived short term injury with a pulled groin, and his status could be affected by that.

Zyon Gilbert, Cornerback (11 Total Tackles, 6 Solo) – Honorable mention for a guy who literally came out of nowhere to post up one of the better preseason box scores for the Steelers. Gilbert was signed two weeks ago after being cut by the Green Bay Packers earlier in the preseason. He was originally selected by the New York Giants in 2022, but failed to make the roster until being called up for a Wk 13 game against Washington, recording 7 Tackles on 62 snaps, and getting his first sack the next week against Philadelphia. A tackling machine, no one needs to ask about his willingness to get in and mix it up. One of the many guys fighting for those valuable backup Corner spots, he has presented the most compelling case of these players based on the box score. Does that mean he actually knows how to play the position well, or does he pad the box score due to the necessity of following up on plays he may have not made up front? Only the coaches know the answer to that one.

In terms of the ability of these players, each can make the case that they should be considered for the 53 Man Roster, and in terms of their youth, there is a lot more candidates from this list that could make the team than may have had an opportunity in year’s past. The competition to make the Pittsburgh Steelers roster in 2024 has been more open and fierce than has been the case in years past.

As always, injuries to players ahead of them in the Depth Chart (except for Bishop) could make getting on the team a little easier, as well as the situation regarding Cam Sutton’s suspension necessitating some consideration for a Cornerback to make the team that may not normally have been considered, but MUST be now because of said suspension.

So, with that in mind, the voting for the 2024 Steel Curtain Network Brett Keisel Award is now open!!!

Here’s how to get in on the action:

The Steel Curtain Network is going to drop a poll on their X account with the 4 candidates most likely to have a shot to make the team. You vote, then spread the word!

🚨🚨VOTE🚨🚨

Time to vote for who you think should win the SCN Brett Keisel Award!!

VOTE BELOW ⬇️⬇️⬇️ #Steelers

— Steel Curtain Network (@SteelCNetwork) August 27, 2024

Rules are as follows:

1. Vote! Vote for the candidate you think best represents Brett Keisel’s own journey to the NFL: Not won by physical gifts or or high pedigree, but rather the same traits that make Keisel so beloved in the City of Pittsburgh: HEART and HUSTLE.

2. Spread the word! Re-post the poll. You don’t have to give it a quote, but show your support for these young players that are fighting for their dream to play in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Thats it! We will tally up the votes at 4PM Tuesday when the 53 Man Roster deadline is set!

Thank you for voting and Let’s Go Steelers!