The Pittsburgh Steelers addressed a lot of needs during the 2023 NFL draft. For their efforts, the team received high grades from draft analysts, including Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame.
A strong draft class is a great thing for the Steelers. But it does mean that a couple of the team’s past starters or valuable contributors could be fighting for a job during training camp.
Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey identified tight end Connor Heyward as one of those players, calling the tight end a cut or trade candidate.
“He may be better off with an early cut in training camp to get a significant look elsewhere for playing time,” wrote Tansey.
Heyward had just 12 catches as a sixth-round rookie draft pick. But he came on strong after November, averaging 14.6 yards per touch in the final six games.
Steelers Add Another Tight End in Darnell Washington
Entering the offseason, the only other tight end on the Steelers roster other than Heyward was starter Pat Freiermuth. That figured to bode well for Heyward.
But the Steelers re-signed Zach Gentry and then drafted Georgia tight end Darnell Washington at No. 93 overall in the third round.
With Gentry and Washington along with Freiermuth, Tansey projected Heyward to be the odd-man out.
“Washington is a massive target who could be utilized right away in red-zone situations over Zach Gentry,” wrote Tansey.
“Gentry and Heyward serve the same purpose on the roster right now as blocking tight ends behind Washington and Pat Freiermuth.
“The Steelers can’t afford to keep two of the same type of player, especially at tight end, where three players on the active depth chart is normal for most teams.”
Heyward would be the easiest to cut, as he has a salary under $1 million. He also has the least experience besides the rookie.
Reasons for the Steelers to Keep Connor Heyward
But a lack of experience isn’t always a bad thing. Gentry has been in the league for four years and has never reached 20 receptions or 170 receiving yards in a season.
Heyward hasn’t either, but he had virtually no role in the Steelers offense until Week 5 his rookie season. In the final five games of 2022, Heyward registered 5 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. He had two rushing attempts for 27 yards as well.
Heyward appears to have a higher ceiling than Gentry. Every time Heyward touched the ball late in the season, it seemed like he made a big play.
He caught a 17-yard touchdown in a 19-16 victory against the Atlanta Falcons. On Christmas Eve, he rushed for 21 yards on an end-around that gave the Steelers the first down to clinch a win versus the Las Vegas Raiders.
During the season finale against the Cleveland Browns, Heyward hauled in a 27-yard catch.
Heyward may “serve the same purpose” as Gentry on paper, but Gentry has never flashed that kind of skill.
The Pro Football Focus player grades tell a similar story. Heyward posted a 74.1 (out of 100) offensive grade last year, which was comparable to the grade Freiermuth received (although in a smaller sample). Gentry recorded a 47.5 grade.
According to PFF, Gentry was a much better pass blocker than Heyward, but Heyward received a higher grade in run blocking.
In addition to Heyward, Tansey identified left tackle Dan Moore and wide receiver Miles Boykin as potential trade or cut candidates.
Moore has been Pittsburgh’s starting left tackle each of the past two years. In 2022, he played all of the team’s 1,160 snaps on offense after missing just 1% of Pittsburgh’s snaps during 2021.
Boykin is a little bit more of an obvious choice for a list of Steelers players to potentially be traded or cut before the season (although Tansey wrote, “Boykin’s trade market is non-existent”). Boykin could provide key depth, but the Steelers do have a crowded wide receiver room.
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Steelers Promising Rookie Pegged Potential Cut Candidate