As the Pittsburgh Steelers close the books on their first week of training camp, a lot of names have started to float towards the top of depth charts. With the Steelers in the process of a significant overhaul of starters at key areas, training camp is proving to be an open competition to all who walk onto the field.
Included in this year’s camp competitions are battles for the starting quarterback spot, who will stand out as the running mate to Najee Harris, and how the wide receiving corps will unfold in 2022. Needless to say, that is a lot for Head Coach Mike Tomlin to track, amongst other position battles in camp.
Tomlin is using everything he can to track all the Steelers position battles during training camp.
Wide receiver Anthony Miller is a name who is on the rise in training camp thus far. Although the Steelers used their second-round selection on George Pickens and fourth-round pick on Calvin Austin III, there is still a lot of opportunity for veteran free agent receivers in the offense, specifically in the inside slot receiver position. Last year, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ray-Ray McCloud occupied that spot. But with both of those options gone this go-around, there’s a glaring vacancy for whoever wants it.
Steelers' receiver Anthony Miller (#17) takes a break between reps at training camp. (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Miller needs to be considered as one of the strongest contenders for the slot receiver role to propel his career forward. In the initial days of camp, we saw Chase Claypool inside with Pickens shining on the outside. But when Claypool missed some time with a minor shoulder injury, we saw a variety of names line up inside. Included in that was Miller, who spent a lot of time lined up inside during his time with the Chicago Bears.
Although he saw a lot of time on the field however, he isn’t leaving any stone unturned and is arguably having one of the best camps so far; and it looks like Tomlin has taken notice by using his newborn Instagram account.
Mike Tomlin, now on Instagram, comments on a post from Anthony Miller — who’s having a nice camp so far, by the way — with “you know my eyes are everywhere.” Never again will I let this man tell me in a press conference he didn’t see a play or a player! pic.twitter.com/MM9Mr0GYJS
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) July 31, 2022
Although he has caught passes from the full suite of quarterback options, there is one quarterback with whom he already has a connection; that being Mitch Trubisky. Miller has to carry that chemistry he built with Trubisky to the likes of Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett. In the past, when he establishes that strong connection with whoever lines up under center, his numbers speak for themselves. For instance, when he was playing with Trubisky in Chicago, he posted 106 receptions on 170 attempts for over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Albeit a shorter time span, when he played without Trubisky, he only made 6 catches on 12 attempts for only 25 yards and a single touchdown. For reference, Miller had 19 games where he tallied over 25 yards through the air with Trubisky at quarterback. Therefore, he has to prove he can be infused into an offense with any quarterback.
Miller has to wear a variety of hats in camp to earn a final Steelers roster spot.
As a free agent receiver looking to reignite his career, he can’t shy away from any tasks he’s asked to complete. Consequently, this may lead to him using his already established skill set to morph himself into previous Steelers receivers who were in his similar professional life.
Fans remember what Eli Rodgers was able to do as a ‘plug-and-play’ receiver on both offense and special teams. Most recently, fans saw what McCloud was able to do as a slot receiver when Smith-Schuster was sidelined in 2021, even though he was primarily a kick returner. With that in mind, Miller showed off some punt return skills in Saturday’s practice.
.@AnthonyMiller_3 putting on a show 🍿#SteelersCamp | #BackTogetherSaturday pic.twitter.com/90nBE4iAPw
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 30, 2022
In addition to Tomlin’s praises towards him on Instagram, Tomlin continued those remarks in the concluding press conference on Saturday:
“You know, this is his first opportunity to be on the train when it leaves the station. Oftentimes, we pick guys up and they get on a moving train during the course of the season and so forth,” he explained. “It’s good that he’s had the totality of the off-season, the learning process. I think being a component of the entire process is showing in a positive light for him.”
As this point, he has to take full advantage of any opportunities in camp to earn a final roster spot. Fortunately enough, he has been one of the bright spots for the team in the first week of camp and will need to build on that heading into week two. With Diontae Johnson still not participating in team drills due to his “hold-in,” there is a lot of reps up for grabs to the suite of receivers jockeying for a final roster spot.
Steelers' Anthony Miller (#17) lines up in a drill during training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
With such a young offensive attack, the Steelers are in need of an experienced inside receiver. With an open quarterback competition, each receiver is looking to be that reliable target for whoever lands the starting job, which makes this a dream scenario for Miller. With strong talent on the outside, a top-tier tight end in Pat Freiermuth, and a stud running back in Harris, he won’t be pressured to shoulder a lot of production early on.
Miller is already showing he has all the right assets to be a great compliment to the offense and special teams in 2022, and all of Steeler Nation should be watching him as the preseason slate of games kick off on August 13th at Acrisure Stadium.
What do you think of Miller so far in camp? Do you think he’ll make the final roster? Let us know in the comments below!
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