What we learned from first day of Pittsburgh Steelers’ OTAs

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers held their first OTAs practice on Tuesday, and with plenty of buzz around the quarterbacks, some other things went under the radar. From how Roman Wilson approaches his sophomore season to the secondary, here are some things we learned on Tuesday.

Year 2 for Roman

The Steelers expect big things from Wilson in his second season, and he has the same expectations for himself. Wilson feels an urgent need to elevate his game after missing much of his rookie year due to a high ankle sprain and a strained hamstring.

Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni challenged Wilson to work on four things: route indicators, body level while running routes, blocking technique, and maintaining his burst in and out of breaks. Wilson worked in a local park back at his home to help craft those skills.

“I think with everything I’ve said, there’s some urgency to it. You gotta get going. I’m ready for it,” Wilson said.

Wilson’s physical tools have never been much in question. He has great explosiveness, and that instant acceleration made him shine as a slot receiver at Michigan. His tough, rugged style also led to just one drop in his career, a dependable target for the Wolverines.

Now, a year after his injury-riddled season, Wilson has re-worked his body to the point where teammates have said he ‘looks different,’ cutting some fat and adding muscle.

“I’ve been taking care of my body at an elite level. I’m just locked in. I feel like myself,” Wilson said.

In person, he looks explosive, and the Steelers have trained all of their wide receivers to play in the slot or outside, though Wilson projects as a slot-first with a smattering of Z-receiver reps. This is his chance to seize the opportunity.

“I don’t want to think too much about last year, but I definitely learned a lot and it definitely helped shape who I am this upcoming season,” Wilson said.

Beanie Bishop changing routine

Beanie Bishop confirmed to reporters that he started OTAs as the starting slot cornerback after practice on Tuesday. That is hardly a surprise, given the other options on the roster, as Bishop started 8 games for the Steelers in that role a year ago.

Bishop looked a bit different, too. It was a leaner, more explosive version of Bishop. He spent his entire offseason in Pittsburgh working with the Steelers’ strength and conditioning staff to re-work his body. His diet changed, too, so he could drop the fat.

The idea is for Bishop to have better play strength and be more fluid in and out of his breaks. One change is Bishop eats the same breakfast every day: three eggs, three slices of turkey bacon, and two slices of toast with nothing else on it.

It is simple, but Bishop has maintained simplicity throughout this process. He hopes his reworked frame will allow him to keep his starting nickel cornerback spot, which he is not taking for granted.

“It’s my spot right now, but you’ve got to always work and keep that competitive edge to remain with the one team,” Bishop said. “I wasn’t drafted at all. So, who knows. We’re still in the offseason. They still could bring a guy in. But I always have that fire underneath me.”

Plan at offensive tackle

It seems the Steelers have established their plan at offensive tackle. Troy Fautanu told reporters he has been told he will play right tackle, while Broderick Jones will shift over to left tackle.

“I hadn’t played right tackle since freshman year of high school,” Fautanu said. “Playing it through OTAs last year and training camp, I started to really like it. It’s different, but a little bit easier.”

The Steelers had vowed to move Jones to left tackle last season before Fautanu’s season-ending knee injury. Now, that can be realized in Jones’ third season.

Rudolph sees fit in Arthur Smith’s scheme

Last season, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith had to change his offense to fit Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Even in the run game, Smith switched from a primarily outside zone team to feature more gap concepts.

When Mason Rudolph is under center, Smith should be able to call much of his traditional offense, including his under-center, play-action-heavy, centric passing attack. Rudolph thinks those concepts fit him quite well.

“He’s very detail-oriented,” Rudolph said of Smith. “I think he’s a good teacher in the install rooms. He’s been very clear to guys. Obviously, you guys know he loves to pound the rock, play-action. But he’s also got a good collection of drop-back pass concepts that I like. I think it fits my game and it’s been fun working with him.”

The mesh of Smith and whoever will be quarterback is important, but with Rudolph as either the starter or the backup, the Steelers seem to have at least one option who fits their plan.

Heyward impressed by Harmon

Cam Heyward could not speak more highly of first-round pick Derrick Harmon than he did on Tuesday. Although the pair only knew each other for a few weeks, Heyward said Harmon is meticulous, asking him repeated questions during practice and when he is out of the building.

Harmon’s frame and athleticism jumped out to Heyward, too, who quickly has become enamored with the player Harmon is on the field.

“I think he’s got a good body,” Heyward said. “He moves well, plays with his hands, and definitely gets on the edge a lot more than other, younger guys. I think it’s just computing that to our scheme and getting guys caught up.”

Harmon has caught on quickly and seems to be a quick learner. The rave review from Heyward is notable.

“That kid is very inquisitive,” Heyward said. “He asks a lot of questions outside of just football. He just wants to be good. He has a good head on his shoulders and there’s not a lot of him being boastful. Like, ‘I did it this way’ or ‘I did it that way,’ he’s really just trying to learn.”

The Steelers will need Harmon to catch on quickly with their investment on the defensive line, and Heyward seems impressed by his disposition.

Quick Hits

1. Will Howard had a rough first practice against NFL veterans. That is not out of the ordinary nor unexpected and is not cause for concern. His accuracy was a bit all over the place, and in general, he looked like a sixth-round pick going through his first NFL practice. For a quarterback, this should improve over time, so I’ll be watching that progress.
2. From how Beanie Bishop described it, it seems the slot battle, for now, is Bishop against seventh-round rookie Donte Kent. No mention of Sebastian Castro, which is interesting.
3. Caught up for a short bit with Robert Woods, and he thinks he has enough left in the tank to be a real contributor for the team. For now, he is learning the playbook and becoming a leader in that room.
4. Kaleb Johnson has the most tailor-made NFL frame out of the rookie class. He looks like a workhorse back. He probably won’t have to be this year, but he seems capable. Also, he is incredibly detail-oriented in practice. That is a positive.
5. DeShon Elliott described new defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander as ‘intense.’ Grady Brown was more of a laid-back type of coach who went through detailed instruction. Alexander is going to demand high effort and accountability each practice.
6. Remember the name DJ Thomas-Jones. Just do. This UDFA has a much better roster shot than you think.