The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday in its first preseason game of the year. Here are the six players we will be keeping a close eye on this week.

TE Darnell Washington

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, everyone wants to see how the Steelers new tight end performs. Darnell Washington has made strides in training camp as a route runner and receiver and could be a weapon for this offense.

WR Calvin Austin III

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Another exciting skill-position player we want to keep an eye on is wide receiver Calvin Austin III. After missing all of his rookie campaign with an injury, Austin finally gets to showcase his elite speed in a game.

QB Tanner Morgan

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It might seem like a small thing but these preseason games are a great opportunity for rookie quarterback Tanner Morgan to win the team’s third quarterback spot over Mason Rudolph.

P Braden Mann

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Pressley Harvin’s inconsistency makes Braden Mann a viable option to make this team. The head-to-head competition between these two will be something to keep an eye on.

FS Kenny Robinson

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Safety Kenny Robinson is currently the frontrunner to be the training camp MVP for the fans thanks to a ton of big practice plays. We want to see if any of that translates to a game situation.

EDGE Nick Herbig

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Linebacker Nick Herbig has worked exclusively on the edge in training camp and showed nice coverage skills and a burst. Preseason will be big for him in terms of how he fits in the rotation this season.

Story originally appeared on Steelers Wire




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