With less than three weeks to go until training camp kicks off, the Pittsburgh Steelers have most of their starting lineup figured out. There are a few positions that still need to be sorted out. The Steelers greatly improved their group of linebackers this offseason through free agency and the draft. They now have four starting-caliber players battling for two spots. It’s time for a temperature check on the Steelers linebackers before training camp.
Where Steelers Linebackers Stand Ahead of Training Camp
One Spot is Secured
Rather than having four players battling for two spots, the Steelers have three linebackers battling for one spot. Patrick Queen stamped the first starting linebacker spot the day he signed with Pittsburgh. Joining the Steelers’ defense after earning his first All-Pro nod with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, Queen will play a massive role in Pittsburgh. He will be their defensive signal caller and, if healthy, will play just about every snap of every game.
Pittsburgh hasn’t had a linebacker of Patrick Queen’s caliber since Ryan Shazier suffered his tragic, career-ending injury. His pass coverage abilities will be especially helpful; the Steelers linebackers were torched in coverage by tight ends last season. Queen can get downhill in the run game, he is strong in pass coverage, and he will be the main communicator on the defense. He is LB1 for the Steelers ahead of training camp.
Sorting Out the Others
Beyond Queen, the Steelers have Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb, and rookie Payton Wilson, all of whom will have a considerable role on the defense in 2024.
Elandon Roberts
Elandon Roberts probably enters training camp the favorite to win the LB2 spot. Last year, he became an every-down player after multiple Steelers linebackers were lost to season-ending injuries. Early in the season, Roberts was strong against the run but didn’t offer much in pass coverage. As the season progressed, he became serviceable in coverage, though it still isn’t his strength.
One key note about Roberts is that he can complement Patrick Queen well. There have been concerns regarding Queen’s ability to produce at an elite level when he’s not playing alongside Roquan Smith. While Roberts is certainly no Smith, there is a similarity in their playstyles. Roberts can get downhill and be a thumper, opening up plenty of tackling lanes for Queen. Steelers fans will remember how well Ryan Shazier and Vince Williams complemented each other. Queen and Roberts could have a similar dynamic.
Cole Holcomb
Before suffering a gruesome knee injury that ended his 2023 campaign, Holcomb was easily the Steelers’ best linebacker. If he has fully recovered from his injury, he has a strong argument to be Pittsburgh’s second starter beside Queen. There hasn’t been much clarity around his status, though, so it’s hard to say where he’s at in his recovery. If Holcomb becomes the second starter, he would form a dynamic duo with Queen. Both guys are superb athletes who can get down the field in pass coverage or downhill in the run game.
Payton Wilson
The wildcard of the Steelers linebackers is rookie Payton Wilson. He is the best athlete in the group, which is a strong statement to make with peers like Queen and Holcomb. Wilson fell into the late third draft round due to medical concerns. He has had a long injury history. But Wilson is a real difference-maker on the field when he is healthy. His sideline-to-sideline speed is elite and he’s a very strong tackler. Wilson enters training camp as the LB4, but that doesn’t mean he’ll warm the bench all season. He will get plenty of snaps, especially in passing situations. And while he starts at the bottom of the ladder, Wilson has a chance to climb the ranks of the Steelers linebackers very quickly.
Main Photo: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK
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