3 Steelers Veterans Fighting for Their Jobs After the Draft

Coming into the 2020 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers -- who didn't hold a first-round pick -- were never expected to walk away as winners. In the end, GM Kevin Colbert made just six selections, three of which upgraded the offense and three that bolstered the defense.

As much as Steelers fans would love to see these new draftees gel with the players already rostered, some veterans will be forced to fight for their jobs entering camp. Here are three who will be doing just that in due time.

3. Ulysees Gilbert

Late in the third round, the Steelers selected edge rusher/linebacker Alex Highsmith, who registered 15 sacks and 75 tackles as a senior for Charlotte last year. He'll have a solid chance to see the field as a rotational piece behind stars Devin Bush, TJ Watt, Bud Dupree, and Vince Williams. Unfortunately, that means Ulysees Gilbert, who appeared in just seven games (zero starts) in 2019, might be on his way out of Pittsburgh.

2. Ryan Switzer

The Steelers hinted at the potential future departure of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster when they drafted Notre Dame star Chase Claypool at No. 49 overall. For 2020, however, Pittsburgh now has JuJu, Diontae Johnson, James Washington, and Claypool as its top wideouts. That leaves Switzer as the odd man out. If the 25-year-old wants to retain his roster spot, he should probably commit all of energy to becoming the team's primary return man.

1. Trey Edmunds

We still have zero clue as to why Pittsburgh drafted a running back, but they snagged Maryland product Anthony McFarland Jr. with its first pick of the fourth round. The selection creates more of a logjam in a backfield that already features talents like James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, and Benny Snell, all of whom logged at least 100 touches in 2019. That spells trouble for Edmunds, 25, who barely scraped the 20-carry mark last year.