The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a flurry of transactions over the past few weeks. As is typically the case in training camp, when a player goes down due to injury, you want to give another guy a shot and at the very least, have another camp body. One guy that's gotten lost in the shuffle in those moves is outside linebacker, Hamilcar Rashed Jr.
Former Steelers linebacker, Ulysees Gilbert III, was having a solid training camp before getting injured. Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
After the injury to Ulysees Gilbert III, Rashad was brought in as a replacement. The two don't play the same position at linebacker, but the inside's depth was still fine with the departure of Gilbert. The team's outside linebacker depth, or lack thereof, has been a notable concern throughout the off-season and into training camp. Beyond the starters (TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith), there are a lot of unproven guys. Genard Avery, the veteran of the group, figures to be the primary backup, but he's been in and out of the lineup throughout training camp.
Delontae Scott made some plays in Latrobe, but he may not even make the 53-man roster when it's all said and done. In essence, Rashad had a clear path to making a name for himself with the Steelers. It seems he's done just that since signing with the team just two weeks ago. In fact, he hasn't just established himself as a practice squad candidate, but he could even push the likes of Scott and Derrek Tuszka for a spot on the opening day roster.
Formerly on the New York Jets during the 2021 season, Rashed was claimed off waivers by the Steelers. Now, he's thankful to have earned an opportunity in Pittsburgh. Rashed impressed in his opening appearance with the team, sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock in the Steelers' first preseason game. He was active once again this past weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On Monday, those opportunities became even more apparent. With Highsmith out of practice as he continues to nurse his rib injury, Rashed earned some first-team reps on Monday according to an article from Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That's quite impressive, as he's clearly already made his mark with the coaches. Obviously, it's only temporarily until Highsmith returns, but that's a good sign for his prospects of making the 53-man roster. The team seems to be taking it slowly with Highsmith, as they want him ready for the regular season opener in Cincinnati.
Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith remains out with a rib injury. Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Rashed, still just 24 years old, has displayed an upside perhaps higher than the other backups in the OLB room. Just a year ago, the Jets thought they may have a potential steal after picking him up as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Oregon State. In fact, coming out of college, Rashed had a very good Relative Athletic Score (RAS) despite his lack of size.
Hamilcar Rashed Jr is a DE prospect in the 2021 draft class. He scored a 8.46 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 210 out of 1358 DE from 1987 to 2021.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 2, 2021
Splits projected, times unofficial.https://t.co/cs2jSPhbF2 #RAS pic.twitter.com/zZJq5XVR5b
Rashed wasn't the only guy to see extended reps on the first-team on Monday, as rookie inside linebacker Mark Robinson was a beneficiary of the injury to Devin Bush. Like Rashed, Robinson has made his mark early and often in training camp and the preseason. Both unknowns heading into Latrobe, they now each have a legitimate shot at making the 53-man roster, as the final cuts take place next Tuesday.
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