The Pittsburgh Steelers are down to the last stretch of camp, and the roster picture is getting tighter by the day. With the final public practice already shortened by rain and only two preseason games left, the coaching staff is staring at a 90-man roster that has to be trimmed to 53. Three long-shot players have made that decision a lot less straightforward.
For most of camp, the Steelers have had a pretty clear idea of where their roster stands. But a few depth pieces have kept forcing their way into the conversation, and they backed that up in the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. None of these players is a lock, but all three have done enough to make the final evaluation harder than expected.
Lew Nichols has been one of the most interesting names in that group. Technically, he was the 235th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he’s never taken an offensive snap since entering the league three years ago.
That makes his climb even steeper than the usual undrafted free agent path. Still, Nichols has handled his business all month.
He followed a strong 2025 preseason in Pittsburgh with another solid training camp in 2026, then led all Steelers in rushing with 36 yards and 3.6 yards per carry against Green Bay. His best moment was a bounce-out run that ended in the end zone, though the score came back because of a holding call on left tackle Troy Fautanu.
At running back, Nichols has looked like the RB3 behind Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. Travis Homer remains in the mix and could stick because of special teams, but Nichols has clearly outplayed second-year back Kaleb Johnson and given himself a real shot.
Brandon Smith’s momentum has cooled some lately, but his summer still matters. The wideout opened eyes early in camp with downfield catches and strong body control through traffic, and that kind of play got him noticed fast.
Smith came into the league as an undrafted free agent after first signing with the Cowboys following the 2021 NFL Draft, later spent time with the New York Jets, and then landed in Pittsburgh. Even with that path, the numbers tell the story of how hard this climb is: just nine offensive snaps and 13 special teams snaps over five years in the NFL.
At 27, he has a massive hurdle in front of him. He’d need two huge preseason performances to force his way onto the 53, and even then it would probably take a surprise at receiver or an injury.
But on merit alone, Smith has done enough to stay in the conversation.
Then there’s Doneiko Slaughter, a name few would have expected to be part of this discussion at all as camp winds down. He entered Steelers camp as an undrafted free agent who originally signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2025 NFL Draft.
A college career that included four years at Tennessee and one at Arkansas gave him a solid résumé, but he still arrived in Pittsburgh largely off the radar. That changed quickly.
Slaughter started earning second-team defensive reps early in camp and quietly became one of the team’s better performers. He carried that over into the preseason opener, where he had two run stops and a pass breakup while posting a 77.8 overall grade and an 87.0 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.
At nearly 6'0'' and 195 pounds with 4.38 speed, he has the kind of size-speed combination Patrick Graham and the defensive staff can work with. The cornerback room is crowded, but Slaughter has made his case loud enough to matter.
In Other News...
Will Howard Suddenly Has A Bigger Steelers Roster Problem
The Steelers got a useful look at their quarterback room in the preseason game against Green Bay, and on the surface it was a solid night for the group. Will Howard completed seven of nine passes for 86 yards, a respectable showing for a young passer trying to make a case in a crowded competition, but the depth chart is tightening fast around him.
Mason Rudolph remains in the mix as the steadier presence, and rookie Drew Allar added another layer to the battle with a strong performance that clearly left an impression on Mike McCarthy. For Howard, that means every snap matters even more now, because the path to sticking on the roster is starting to look narrower than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Najee Harris Just Got A Big Chance After His Latest Setback
Najee Harris is still looking for his next NFL home, and a visit with the New York Giants gives the former Steelers running back a real opportunity to keep his career moving after a difficult setback. For a player who once handled a heavy workload in Pittsburgh, the chance to re-enter the picture in New York is the kind of opening that can matter this late in the process, especially for a team that is still sorting out its depth behind Cam Skattebo.
The Giants want to see where Harris stands before anything goes further, which makes this more than just a courtesy stop. He has to prove he is far enough along in his recovery to be considered for a roster spot, and that part of the process can matter just as much as the name recognition. If Harris clears that hurdle, he could give a backfield in need of another option a veteran presence and a familiar kind of insurance. [Read more 🡒]