Steelers Spotlight Roman Wilson on Day 2 as McCarthy Rolls Out 'Steelers Six'

Q: Will Asante Samuel Jr.'s unexpected rise force superstar Jalen Ramsey out of his traditional cornerback role this season?

Probably not outright, but it could further push Jalen Ramsey away from being a full-time outside corner. The key context is that Ramsey was already trending toward a hybrid role before Asante Samuel Jr.’s strong camp. Multiple reports indicate Patrick Graham plans to use Ramsey as a movable “star” defender, with snaps at nickel, safety, subpackage linebacker and some outside corner. That shift is tied less to Samuel alone than to Ramsey’s proven versatility and to what worked late last season, when Pittsburgh got better results after moving him off a traditional every-down boundary assignment. Samuel’s rise still matters. With Joey Porter Jr. and Ramsey both opening camp on PUP, Samuel has taken advantage of extra first-team reps and made a strong early impression with several pass breakups. If he keeps that up, he strengthens the case for Pittsburgh to leave Ramsey in the flexible matchup role Graham seems to prefer, while Samuel competes for meaningful outside or rotational snaps alongside Porter and Jamel Dean. So the more likely outcome is not Ramsey being “forced out” by Samuel, but Samuel helping confirm a plan already in motion. Ramsey remains too valuable and too versatile to lose a major role; his role just may not look like a traditional No. 1 corner assignment every week. Samuel’s emergence could reduce Ramsey’s need to play outside full time, while putting more pressure on Brandin Echols and other depth corners for snaps.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 30

Day 2 of Steelers camp put Roman Wilson at the center of the offense, with Aaron Rodgers targeting him heavily as he battles rookie Germie Bernard for the slot receiver job.
Patrick Graham also widened Keeanu Benton's role, lining the defensive tackle up at defensive end instead of keeping him strictly at nose as in past usage.
300-pound tackle Broderick Jones said he is still rebuilding after his neck injury and wants to add weight back to reach 310 to 315 pounds for the season.
Mike McCarthy introduced a fundamentals package he calls the 'Steelers Six' as part of an effort to make Pittsburgh more disciplined while also more explosive.
Joey Porter Jr. remained on the PUP list but was in uniform on the sideline, while Asante Samuel Jr. made multiple plays in a push for the starting slot corner role.