Steelers' Steven Sims Jr. Fighting For Final 53-Man Roster Spot; Jaylen Warren Locking Up His Spot

The Pittsburgh Steelers have finished the preseason with an undefeated record of 3-0 after defeating the Detroit Lions 19-9 Sunday evening. SteelerNation got a good look at what is to be expected of the upcoming season, as head coach Mike Tomlin decided to play his expected starters for the majority of the first half, and the results were promising. The Steelers starting defense held the Lions' offense scoreless in the first half and gave Mitch Trubisky and the Steelers' starting offense a 16-0 lead heading into the half.

The second half of the game was where we saw guys fighting for their spots on the roster. Obviously, the quarterback competition is what is going to garner most of the attention, and rightfully so. Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Trubisky have all been battling for this year's starting quarterback position since the off-season began, with a clear winner not in sight. With Trubisky leading the way as of now, we got to see Pickett and Rudolph work with some position players whose roster spot still remains in question.

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A couple of guys who have garnered the most attention have been running back Jaylen Warren and receiver Steven Sims Jr. Both are in competition for permanent roles on this team and have done a good job of solidifying themselves as Steelers. Warren himself, came to the Steelers as a 2022 undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State University while Sims Jr. is coming into his second season in Pittsburgh after being on the practice squad much of last season.

Warren has made a name for himself by playing the game with a tough mentality. What he lacks in speed, he gains in aggression. He has been the team's most productive running back throughout this preseason (Najee Harris excluded). He's rushed the ball 16 times for 48 yards. Although the production has yet to be consistent, the Steelers did not shy away from putting Warren on the field with the starters.

That might be something to watch as the backup running back competition comes to a close.

"I always feel like I could do more. No matter how good people may think I did. I do feel like I showed my hustle throughout the preseason, showed no quit in my game" Warren said.

Sims Jr. finds himself in a similar position after the conclusion of the final preseason game. His biggest pro to his game is his speed, Sims ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash during his combine back in 2019, where he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Commanders. Sims fits the mold of the type of receiver that translates well into the NFL game. He has shown the ability to be involved in not just the passing game but also being utilized as another rush option already during the preseason. The Steelers want to get him on the field in any way possible. There also seems to be a competition between Sims Jr. and free agent signing Gunner Olszewski as far as who will be returning kicks.

"I got a good repore with all of the quarterbacks. Mason (Rudolph) was texting me this morning before the game, giving me a couple of pointers. Just some signals and calls, stuff like that," Sims Jr. said. "I think it helped a lot. Those guys trust me, they feel comfortable coming to me when its man on man. I think that's a good thing."

WATCH STEELERS POST GAME INTERVIEWS HERE

With roster cuts coming sooner rather than later, both Warren and Sims Jr. hope to see their name on the final depth chart once September 11th vs the Bengals comes around. Whether that will be the case or not still remains to be determined. What I can say is that it would be a shock, to me at least, if either one of these guys did not make the final 53-man roster. I don't think I'm speaking for just myself there. Both have done enough and proved they belong in this league and hopefully, it's in the black and gold.

What do you think Steeler Nation, will either of these guys make the roster? Let us know in the comments below!

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