The Steelers’ 2025 season is finally upon us… Well, almost. Pittsburgh kicks off its preseason opener in just a few days on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. EST, visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars.
We’re at that point in the year where there will be football every weekend through February. And because of that, Read & React is picking up steam as well. During the offseason, we put together this column once every two weeks. Now, we’ll be back to once a week as long as the Steelers are on your TV.
Our topics this week shouldn’t be surprising. Like everyone else, we’re counting down the days to Saturday’s game. What should you be watching for against the Jaguars? And more importantly, who’s on the early watchlist for BTSC’s most prestigious award?
Ahead of the first week of the preseason, who are the frontrunners for BTSC’s 2025 Isaac Redman Award?
If you need context on the Isaac Redman Award’s history, there’s a whole Wikipedia entry (seriously) you can check out here.
The TL;DR? Following each preseason, Behind the Steel Curtain readers vote for whichever young, sixth-round-to-UDFA Steelers player has impressed the most over the offseason. It may have started as a joke, but now we take pride in taking it way, way too seriously around here.
Jul 24, 2025; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roc Taylor (89) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
RB: There’s no arguing that Roc Taylor has enjoyed the loudest training camp so far of the Steelers’ 2025 undrafted free agent class.
In fact, he’s stood out from the beginning. Watching the former Memphis receiver’s 2024 tape during the spring, I came away a little surprised that he didn’t hear his name called in the draft.
Taylor is built like an NFL X receiver at 6’2, 213 pounds, and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds. He put up 2,033 receiving yards over his last two collegiate seasons. Sure, his game lacks a lot of refinement, but he has what it takes to play in the league.
Over the summer, the legend of Roc Taylor has grown, with the rookie putting together a highlight reel’s worth of training camp plays.
It seems that four of the wide receiver spots on the Steelers’ final roster are already filled barring injury: D.K. Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, and Ben Skowronek. One or two spots remain available, and based on camp reports, Taylor has been keeping up with other roster hopefuls such as Robert Woods and Scotty Miller.
Plus, Taylor’s size immediately differentiates himself from names like Austin, Wilson, and Miller if the team is looking for different skill sets to fill out the room.
I still think the veterans Woods and Miller have a better shot at making the final roster – Taylor seems like prime practice squad material – but he’s definitely in the mix for the final 53 if he puts together a strong preseason.
Concerns about his hands and route-running aside, the big play potential he’s shown in training camp should translate to at least one notable preseason highlight. And sometimes, that’s all it takes to jumpstart a Redman Award campaign.
But although Taylor is, in my mind, THE frontrunner entering the preseason, Ryan and I will each be highlighting a Redman hopeful to watch on defense as well. I’ll give my pick on that side of the ball in just a bit.
RP: The unfortunate injury to rookie Will Howard robs the sixth-round quarterback of what I believe would have been a runaway fan vote if he had played even moderately well during preseason action. With him out of action and Ryland scooping up Taylor, may I instead interest you with a nomination of J.J. Galbreath?
The 6’3 and 231-pound tight end started for three seasons at South Dakota in the FCS. Over his career, Galbreath played in 45 games, totaling 93 receptions, 1,355 yards, and 12 touchdowns. Those numbers could have been even better had he not missed seven weeks during the 2024 season with a shoulder injury.
Whether it was due to the injury, wariness about FCS prospects translating to the NFL, or because he’s slightly shorter and lighter than the average tight end, Galbreath went undrafted and signed with the Steelers shortly after.
Galbreath wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, but his Pro Day results line up with the athleticism you can see on tape. While you should always take Pro Day results with a pinch of skepticism, Galbreath’s testing numbers stack up well against those posted by his peers in Indianapolis. His vertical jump (38”) would have finished second among tight ends, third in the 40-yard Dash (4.67) and broad jump (10’3), and his 10-yard split (1.62) tied for 10th. Galbreath also would have topped all tight ends in the 3-cone drill (6.82) and short shuttle (4.20), though it should be noted that participation in these drills is often low.
At this stage in his development, Galbreath shines most with the ball in his hands, but he has to show more as a blocker, especially if he wants to stick on a team that has a crowded tight end room. With Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith on the roster, there aren’t many targets left for the potential fourth tight end on the depth chart. Still, an inability to consistently identify and maintain blocks has kept Connor Heyward from sticking on the team, and Galbreath shows enough as a blocker on film to keep me optimistic that the Steelers might finally stop holding a spot for the younger Heyward, who doesn’t particularly excel in any areas of the game.
The Steelers are going to use a lot of heavy formations with multiple tight ends this year. This is partly due to the talent they have in the room, and partly due to the lack of playmakers at wide receiver. Add in that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is a former collegiate tight end and we’re bound to see things get weird this year with the tight ends.
I, for one, hope it’s Galbreath filling the fourth tight end spot.
RB: My pick here is Sebastian Castro.
The former Iowa defensive back is another 2025 undrafted free agent who had a good argument to be drafted. He was seen by some as a potential first-rounder during 2024 summer scouting, and the consensus still had him as a strong Day 3 prospect in the spring.
What killed Castro’s draft stock was his athletic limitations, which appeared at times on tape and culminated in a rough 4.35 RAS following his NFL Combine testing.
However, the hallmarks of Castro’s game – football IQ, toughness, and versatility – helped him perform as a plus starter in the Big Ten as a safety/nickel hybrid, and should help him compete for an NFL roster spot and gain some fans in the process. Castro doesn’t have the athletic profile to play as a deep safety in the pros, but near the line of scrimmage he can do some damage.
And even though the Steelers signed veteran safety Chuck Clark following the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, Castro’s special teams willingness should mean he’ll stay in the competition for a roster spot up to cutdown day.
Like Taylor, Castro has the right mix of “53-man roster potential” and “fan favorite underdog” to make a run at the 2025 Redman Award. He’s had an early start too: He’s already chatted with BTSC, and he provided one of the top defensive highlights of camp so far:
RP: Ryland really isn’t making my job easy, as both Taylor and Castro would have been my top picks as well. I have several other options on defense, but very few that I have confidence in making the Steelers’ final 53. Sure, making the roster isn’t technically a qualification for the award, but it certainly helps.
By my count, here are the defenders eligible for the 2025 Redman award: Castro, cornerbacks Donte Kent, Daryl Porter Jr., and Beanie Bishop Jr., defensive linemen Logan Lee and Kyler Baugh, as well as linebackers Carson Bruener and Julius Welschof.
I was initially leaning towards Kent, a sixth-round rookie out of Central Michigan, but he is currently missing practices while nursing a foot injury that has him in a walking boot.
Daryl Porter Jr. is of a similar size and skillset, but he’s still too new to project his popularity with the fanbase.
Likewise, Bishop Jr. was in the running for the Redman award last year and played adequately enough for an undrafted rookie. Still, the Steelers’ efforts to reshape the cornerback room this offseason feel telling. And despite the secondary’s struggles down the stretch last season, Bishop’s reduced playing time towards the end of the season also has dimmed his candidacy in my eyes.
With those notes in mind, I’m going to turn the R&R defensive selections into an all-Iowa affair by selecting Lee on the defensive line.
Lee didn’t get to make much of an impact during his rookie season, as he was placed on the Injured Reserve list in early September. But as the Steelers have turned over the roster this offseason — and seen a few defensive linemen go down to season-ending injuries in camp — Lee has suddenly found himself very important at work.
The Steelers released their first official depth chart update on Tuesday, and Lee has found himself on the second team. It’s a bit confusing that they listed Lee at defensive end and fellow Hawkeye and rookie Yahya Black at nose tackle when they’ve been predominantly taking reps in the inverse at according to camp reports, but maybe that’s just the organization having some fun. Reminding people not to read too much into the Steelers’ first depth chart release is an annual tradition, and perhaps Lee’s current positioning is just another red herring.
But I think Lee’s spot is more assured than many of the other players I listed above. Additionally, last year I saw several BTSC readers express disappointment that they wouldn’t get to see Lee play after he was placed on injured reserve, so he appears to have some fan interest in his corner. If he can have a strong summer and secure a rotational role, whether at nose tackle or defensive end, that could earn him some Redman award votes.
What are you watching for in the Steelers’ first preseason game?
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 11: Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and DK Metcalf #4 of the Pittsburgh Steelers talk during Minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on June 11, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) Getty Images
RB: We’ll be watching for everything, right?
But one thing I have especially circled – assuming the Steelers play their starters for a drive or two in the first preseason game like last year – is the connection between new quarterback Aaron Rodgers and new wide receiver D.K. Metcalf.
Look, we know the Steelers’ offense in 2025 is going to be imperfect. But a strong quarterback-WR1 connection can make up for a lot of sins, especially considering that Metcalf is arguably the best player on the offense.
Plus, Rodgers’ success as a quarterback at this stage in his career is largely tied to whether or not he can stay on schedule with his pass-catchers. His inability to do so in New York last year was one of the top reasons why a surprisingly talented Jets offense finished in the bottom half of the league.
In camp, the veteran passer reportedly got off to a slow start with his new top target, but the two seem to have gelled in the following practices. But in-game is when we’ll start to get a good idea of what this connection might look like.
And remember, both Rodgers and Metcalf aren’t strangers to airing out some frustrations on the sideline if things aren’t going their way. Metcalf has never been the most precise route-runner or a high-percentage jump-ball winner; he’s in many ways the opposite of what Rodgers generally looks for in a receiver, so it’ll be interesting to see how the two styles mesh.
You could argue that Rodgers’ connection with Roman Wilson, who’s entering first full NFL season in a high-pressure role, or Calvin Austin III, who could be primed for a breakout year in the Rodgers offense, are bigger stories. But Metcalf is by far the most important wide receiver on the Pittsburgh roster. If he and Rodgers can show some chemistry, it’ll be a great sign of things to come.
RP: Among the things I’ll be watching for:
Will any of the receivers behind Metcalf begin to crystallize their place in the pecking order?How will the embattled young offensive tackles fare? And are there any players who could confidently replace them if they struggle or are lost to injury?How the offensive line is gelling in the run game, overall.Will we get any glimpses of the multi-tight end sets Arthur Smith is cooking up before the regular season?The nickel cornerback battle behind Jalen Ramsey, as well as the battle for the final few outside corner spots.The punter battle between Corliss Waitman and Cameron Johnston.All of the rookie class’ performances.
Join in on Steelers R&R by sharing your takes on this week’s topics. Who’s on your Isaac Redman Award watchlist ahead of the preseason? And what will you be looking for in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener against Jacksonville? Feel free to pitch future questions in the comment section or on Twitter/X: tag @_Ryland_B or @RyanParishMedia, or email us at steelersreadnreact@gmail.com.