Mark Robinson is a man on a mission to make a big splash in 2023
Published July 23rd, 5:45 EDT
by Bo Marchionte
Pittsburgh – St. Vincent’s College is so quaint. The eminence of its serene landscape can be seen from a distance as the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica is perched proudly on the hill. A soothing welcome for anyone interested in visiting the first Benedictine monastery in the United States.
Across the street is the Fred Rogers Institute that honors the life and contribution of Mister Rogers where his familiar red sweater or other characters from his television show are on display at the Fred Rogers Exhibit.
While those are deservingly worthy of attention and praise when late July rolls around the Pittsburgh Steelers take center stage and their massive fan base take over Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Their permanent destination since 1966 for training camp the Steelers are woven into the fabric of Westmoreland County.
Players and coaches will reside in the confines of dorm life as the team embarks on their quest to play in their ninth Super Bowl and walk away with their seventh Lombardi Trophy. With rookie and mini camps in the rearview mirror players will now begin wearing pads and taking hits. The training wheels are finally off as an overstocked 90-plus man roster will dwindle down to 53 as the team uses training camp to make it’s final cuts before Week 1 arrives.
The Steelers finished 9-8 last season in one of the NFL’s tougher divisions and it’s not out of the question to imagine they will be in the thick of things when the playoffs are upon us at the turn of the calendar in 2024. There are so many topics up for discussion to talk about with the players when they arrive Wednesday July 26th to the dorms.
Camp quenches our hunger for football. We will gulp these practices up and then immediately crave pre-season football. About a quarter or two after watching third string players and soon to be cut players the urge for the regular season becomes front and center. The sixteen practices will serve as appetizers as we await the 17-course dinner beginning at Acrisure Stadium on September 9th when Pittsburgh hosts the San Francisco 49ers.
The obvious topics are going to be well documented. Is second year quarterback Kenny Pickett ready to make huge strides entering camp as the starter? Will first-round pick Broderick Jones supplant incumbent Dan Moore Jr. for the starting left tackle position? Can rookie defensive back Joey Porter Jr. cement himself as the team’s left cornerback?
Those are the mainstream stories.
Here are the stories I’m also interested in seeing unfold over the next month. With all that said these are the top five things I’m most interested in learning more about as camp opens Thursday the 27th of July on the grounds of St. Vincent College.
- Mark Robinson ILB – With nasty disposition, Robinson flashes the tenacity James Harrison was well known for during his days with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh brought in two inside linebackers, Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts via free agency earlier this spring. A few days before camp its easy to say Robinson, a seventh round pick out of Ole Miss last year will back the pair of veterans up when the season begins against San Francisco. However, I’m interested in seeing if he fast tracks himself in a position that causes the coaching staff to think he can unseat the projected starters or vastly improve on the 44 defensive snaps he took as a rookie.
- Ja’Marcus Bradley WR – Who? It’s exactly why I’m most curious to see if he can make the final roster or the team’s practice squad. Bradley went undrafted out of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2020. He signed with the Browns and spent two years in Cleveland prior to arriving with the Steelers.
Throughout rookie and mini camps, it seemed like the unassuming Bradley was constantly in my notes. Scribbling one positive component of his game down on my notepad. Pittsburgh has four clear cut receivers on the roster in Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson, and Calvin Austin III. Last year the Steelers brought six receivers to Cincinnati in Week 1 to play the Bengals. Johnson, Pickens, Chase Claypool, Gunner Olszewski, Steven Sims, and Miles Boykin.
Boykin is a special teams ace which boosts his chances of remaining on the roster. Claypool is now with the Bears. Sims is now a Texan leaving Olszewski as possibly the last man standing. That is if Bradley doesn’t beat him to the punch.
- Keeanu Benton DL – The last time the Steelers addressed their defensive line with a second-round pick was in 2014 with the selection of Stephon Tuitt. A multiple All-Big Ten award winner in 2021-22, Benton helped anchor the Wisconsin Badgers defense which led the nation in rushing defense in 2021.
Benton has yet to put pads underneath his No. 95 jersey; plenty is yet to be seen in the rookie. However, the impression he made on me leading up to training camp leaves me plenty excited to watch him grow in Latrobe.
First-round pick Broderick Jones and their first second round pick Joey Porter Jr. gather most of the highlights, but it might in fact be the team’s pick after Porter Jr. in round two in Benton that makes the most noise in their rookie campaign.
- Darius Hagans RB – Not one but two HBCU running backs currently reside on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster. Steelers general manager Omar Khan was the only NFL GM to attend the HBCU Combine and both Hagans and Alfonzo Graham are vying to earn their keep in the NFL.
Hagans played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January so despite his small school (Virginia State) stature he was recognized during the draft process as seniors engaged in all-star games across the country. Standing at 5-foot-11 and 210-pounds he possesses some impressive quickness and toughness.
Veteran Anthony McFarland is a popular choice to sit third behind starter Najee Harris and back-up Jaylen Warren. The battle for the third spot, I’m reluctant to relinquish the job to McFarland without seeing Hagans get his shot in camp.
- Connor Heyward TE – If there was one player from last season to this season on the offensive side of the football that looks significantly more comfortable in his surroundings it’s Heyward. He appears faster and crisper running his routes.
Appearing in all 17 games last season, Heyward was targeted 17 times. His rookie stat line read 12 catches for 151 yards and one touchdown. Not bad for the 208th pick (sixth round) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
If the practices we’ve witnessed thus far in 2023 are any indication of what’s ahead of Heyward this year, then expect big things. The reason to press pause is rookie and mini camps can easily trigger excitement that isn’t justified once training camp begins.
Until proven otherwise, Heyward is a guy to monitor heavily in camp.
Photo Credit/Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
