The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot more questions to answer now that Mike McCarthy is in town as their fourth head coach since 1969. The interesting thing is that several major questions have continued to get answered as the 2026 offseason has went on. That is natural with a new era and coaching staff. There are still plenty of unknowns about the football team heading into McCarthy’s first year in the Steel City. The Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 campaign, and that is a tough reality Steeler Nation has to face. If the franchise wants to change that under McCarthy, it must establish its best 53-man roster.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers new Head Coach Mike McCarthy smiles as he addresses the media during his introductory press conference that took place at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
That is what is currently unfolding as the Steelers wrapped up Day 1 of mandatory minicamp. This was the first of three practices where players put in work to really kick off the offseason program. It is an exciting time of year as new faces collide with those who were already on the roster in an effort to earn a spot on the final 53-man group. With Pittsburgh having drafted 10 rookies in the 2026 NFL Draft, it is a difficult roster to crack, as most of the spots appear relatively set.
That has not stopped insiders from speculating about who may be able to steal a spot when it's all said and done. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly has been adamant that undrafted safety Sebastian Castro out of Iowa is making a strong case to steal a spot on the roster. Kaboly wants to be careful to call him a minicamp darling this soon, but he admitted it's hard not to.
"I hate to say that a guy is having a good camp or a good OTAs because it is what it is, but once you just keep seeing one guy just flashing, it's like, 'Okay, who's that?'" Kaboly said. "Then it's the same guy, same guy, same guy. Sebastian Castro, every time I look up at him, he is making a play. I know it is OTAs and I know it's minicamp, but the guy just continues to make plays. It just opens your eyes to say, 'Okay, I am going to watch him a little bit more.'"
Even though Pittsburgh has a crowded and competitive depth chart, Kaboly isn’t saying it is impossible for Castro to sneak onto this roster. In fact he believes he should make it.
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Steelers safety Sebastian Castro during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
At the very least, he is stealing attention during the 2026 offseason.
"That's a guy you just have to watch a bit," Kaboly said. "Maybe he sneaks his way onto the 53-man roster as a special teams guy or a depth safety spot. I really like the guy."
Steelers Should Field A Relatively Competitive Team In 2026
As mentioned before, it is not going to be easy for anyone who is not already established to make it onto the bottom of this roster. That is coupled with 10 rookies being drafted as well as solid depth at critical positions. That is a good thing for Pittsburgh to have, as it should equate to fielding a competitive team that can win several games.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers safety Sebastian Castro (29) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
However, no Steelers fans are going to be content until a playoff win comes back to this organization. It is always interesting hearing which under-the-radar players are making strong cases, and so far it appears to be Castro.
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