LATROBE, Pa. -- The Steelers’ third day of training camp looked nothing like the first two, and that was the point.
Instead of the fast, competitive work Pittsburgh had been getting early in camp, Friday turned into a mock-game day. Players were out there in jerseys and shorts, with no helmets or shells, as Mike McCarthy kept the focus on installation and retention rather than the usual camp heat.
That’s a clear departure from the way Mike Tomlin has traditionally run things. Under Tomlin, camp has usually meant pads or shells and competition baked into the entire practice schedule, with lighter walk-throughs reserved for the days right before preseason games. McCarthy, meanwhile, has been upfront about why this year is different.
“I don’t think you can do enough situational work. The awareness of it, the importance of stressing the defense with the personnel group, having the right personnel groups, just all the little things that go into the makeup of a game.
Then you get into the second part of it, like today’s second part is really review of the last two days. It’s a format I’ve always tried to go one or two installs, review, two installs, review.
So it kind of matches the workload capacity of what you’re looking for, as far as like next week, we’ll have two padded practices, review, then we’ll have three padded practices, which will be the biggest stress point,” McCarthy said.
The schedule is about to get more demanding. The Steelers will ramp things up Saturday, then get Sunday off before Monday’s first padded practice.
With the on-field action dialed back Friday, the depth chart movement stood out more than anything else. Rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard got a noticeable bump with the first team, taking nearly all of the slot reps while Roman Wilson moved outside more often, just as McCarthy had said he would.
Bernard had barely mixed in with that group over the first two days, so Friday was a meaningful step in getting him acclimated without piling on too much at once. Wilson has already earned work with the starters, but Bernard is getting his shot, too.
There were a few other roster clues worth watching. Spencer Anderson remains the lone starter at right guard.
At tackle, Dylan Cook and Max Iheanachor have continued to rotate, but Anderson has held steady. Brock Hoffman has been used as an interior swing option, while Gennings Dunker is working as a third-teamer.
Up front, the two nose tackles appear to be Yahya Black and Gabriel Rubio. Rubio is new to that spot, while Black has handled all of his reps there in camp. Keeanu Benton is still working at base end.
At linebacker, Cole Holcomb seems to have moved ahead of Malik Harrison. Holcomb was running in obvious run situations, with Payton Wilson mixing in there and also showing up in nickel packages.
Daylen Everette kept drawing attention, too. The rookie cornerback has already earned plenty of praise this spring, and McCarthy added more on Friday after Everette got his first real NFL lesson the hard way.
On Thursday, he was matched up with DK Metcalf, who ripped the ball away for a touchdown in the two-minute drill. That kind of moment comes with the territory for a rookie, but McCarthy said Everette doesn’t look like one.
“You have to make those plays and, obviously, you can see the trust Aaron had in DK, where he put the ball and DK won that battle. So you can’t get enough of those reps for all of our guys.
But yeah, he doesn’t look like a rookie. I’ve been impressed with him,” McCarthy said.
Kaleb Johnson also made a notable move into the first-team offense on Friday. The second-year running back has obvious talent, but he’s been working to round out his game, and Friday showed that effort in action.
He was used in passing situations, where he was asked to show he understood fronts and where blitzes were coming from. Aaron Rodgers gave him praise on a few reps, and Johnson also showed up on special teams as a wing on punt protection, a role he didn’t have a year ago.
McCarthy also spent time with the third-team 11-on-11 group specifically so he could work with Drew Allar and Will Howard, a sign of how much attention he’s giving the young quarterbacks.
Elsewhere, Derrick Harmon looked noticeably leaner than he did in his rookie year. He may not actually be lighter, but he has clearly added muscle to his frame.
And one name to keep in mind at the bottom of the roster is Doneiko Slaughter. He spent a lot of time outside during the spring, but with Jalen Ramsey injured, the Steelers have been using him as a slot cornerback this summer.
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