Not since Kendrell Bell in 2001 has a rookie defender opened the season as a starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In spite of an knee injury that will keep him out of the Steelers preseason game tomorrow against the New York Giants, first rounder Ryan Shazier looks to be on track to break into the starting lineup immediately.
Though second-round pick Stephon Tuitt might not share that honor with Shazier, he might just join him sooner than later. Two rookies starting for the Steelers defense? Playing in the complicated schemes employed by defensive wizard Dick LeBeau?
Sounds crazy, but Tuitt seems to be making a strong case to get on the field early and often.
Tuitt, who is officially listed as the backup at left defensive end behind the emerging Cameron Heyward, has been having a terrific camp to this point. Watching him practice this past Wednesday, Tuitt was getting plenty of reps with the first team, and making the most of it with his massive, 6’5, 309-pound frame.
The former Notre Dame product, who was hampered last season by a sports hernia, is thought to be a player who might have been an early first-round pick if not for the struggles to stay healthy and produce before declaring for the NFL draft after his Junior season. So far, his performance as a Steeler has endorsed that line of thinking, and might make Tuitt too good of a player to leave on the sidelines.
That’s not to say that the impressive start to camp by Tuitt will necessarily put Heyward’s job in danger, but the same might not be said for the starter on the right side, Cam Thomas, who was brought in via free agency from the San Diego Chargers. By all accounts, Thomas has been doing fine at camp, but it will definitely be interesting to see how things play out the rest of the way.
For now, it looks as if LeBeau is satisfied with the combination of Heyward and Thomas as the Steelers bookends, however, in an interview with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Wilkening, LeBeau seemed to endorse the idea of Tuitt playing a significant role for the Steelers defense this season. LeBeau noted in reference to Tuitt getting early playing time, “I could see Tuitt playing an awful lot of snaps.”
Pretty strong language and endorsement from a coach who is known for being extremely conservative when it comes to putting too much on rookies plates right of the bat. It seems that the speed and athleticism of both Shazier and Tuitt might be too much for Lebeau to deny. After a lackluster, un-Steelerlike season from the defense last year, LeBeau might understand all too well that the best players will need to see the field as much as possible.
Understandably, this might mean a few growing pains along the way, but with rookies like Shazier and Tuitt, the benefits of having them on the field could certainly outweigh the negatives.
