Steelers vs. Buccaneers: Players to watch in Preseason Week 2

The NFL Preseason continues for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday night in Week 2, and both teams’ approach to this game couldn’t be more different. The Buccaneers, and coach Todd Bowles, have decided to play their starters, excluding Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Lavonte David. Meanwhile, the Steelers are resting the vast majority, if not all, of their starting players.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be players to watch for the black-and-gold. Below I outline players I’m excited to see, and a brief summation as to why they make the list.

Here are my players to watch in Preseason Week 2:

Offense

Kaleb Johnson

Last week we saw the debut of the 3rd Round rookie running back, and it left many fans wondering what the Steelers had with the former Iowa product. Johnson showed some ability, but also showed plenty of hesitation at times, something black-and-gold fans saw all too much during Najee Harris’s time with the team. With those first game jitters out of the way, the hope is fans get to see Johnson look more confident, and able, as he goes against a very good Tampa Bay run defense.

Troy Fautanu

Fautanu had a tremendous performance in Week 1 of the preseason, even though it was a small sample size. For a young player with so little experience you want to see him start to stack solid performances. Fautanu getting his legs under him, both figuratively and literally, will be vital to the success of the offense. Time for another step forward.

Broderick Jones

Like Fautanu, Jones had himself a solid performance in Week 1. Earlier this week Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl spoke glowingly of Jones, and the only way Jones will silence the haters is if he continues to play well when given the chance at left tackle. Jones has all the traits of a dominant left tackle, but can he put it all together? We’ll see soon enough.

Max Hurleman

The man his teammates call “Tom Cruise” is putting his best foot forward by being a do-it-all type player. Player RB? Yep. Play FB? Sure. How about TE? Why not. Special teams? You got it. If Hurleman can put forth another performance in Week 2 like he did in Week 1, he might be making a case which is impossible to ignore to make the 53-man roster. It might be a tall task, but the Notre Dame product seems up to the challenge.

Defense

Jack Sawyer

Sawyer played significant snaps vs. the Jaguars in Week 1, and while he absolutely did a good job setting the edge and making plays vs. the run, he didn’t impact the game as a pass rusher. Sawyer has never been touted as the next T.J. Watt, but he absolutely can be more of a presence in the pass rushing department. That is the hope for the Week 2 game vs. Tampa Bay.

Payton Wilson

Wilson wore the green dot as the primary inside linebacker vs. the Jaguars last week, but only played a couple of series. I don’t know how the coaching staff plans on deploying him vs. the Buccaneers, but I’d love to see him play more in that role. Wilson has the skills to be one of the best cover linebackers in the league, but I’d love to see him against the run and getting more repetitions overall.

Derrick Harmon

Harmon had a performance similar to Kaleb Johnson in Week 1. Depending on who you talk to will depend how it is viewed. In other words, some thought he played sub-par football, while others thought he played above the line. Either way, Harmon getting more repetitions will be vital to him having a larger role on the defense starting in the regular season. Unfortunately, Harmon’s fellow rookie linemate, Yahya Black, might not play due to injury, but hopefully Harmon holds down the fort.

Brandin Echols / Beanie Bishop

One of the best preseason battles is happening at the cornerback position. Echols is already a prime back-up on the outside, but the Steelers have started to use him more in the slot. Bishop had a decent game in Week 1, but left a lot to be desired in many ways. Echols could leapfrog Bishop in the slot in certain sub packages. Keep your eye on these two players, and how they’re used, in Week 2 of the preseason.

Special Teams

Carson Bruener / Sebastian Castro / Mark Robinson

When it comes to fringe players, special teams is the way they make the roster. That is certainly the case between the three players listed above. I don’t think all three make the roster, but when you see Bruener and Castro making special teams tackles in Week 1 you take notice. Again, watch out for special teams play as a way to distinguish who may, or may not, make the roster when the final cut downs occur.

To hear more about these players, and why they are players to watch, check out my Friday “Let’s Ride” podcast in the player below:

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Buccaneers in Week 2 of the NFL Preseason.