Steelers' Mark Robinson Could Have Great Story In Pittsburgh Come To An End In August

It should be hard for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers to look at the team's 2024 NFL Draft class and not be overjoyed with the outcome. General Manager Omar Khan, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and assistant general manager Andy Weidl all played an integral part in the revamping of the offensive line. In the first four rounds, every selection came on the offensive side of the ball, besides the franchise picking up inside linebacker Payton Wilson. With questions looming regarding Cole Holcomb's recovery from knee surgery, the depth in the area was weak. The front office made the move to bring in the talented defender.

The selection certainly creates a logjam in the linebackers' room. Patrick Queen inked the largest free agent contract in the organization's history, Holcomb still has two years remaining on his deal and Elandon Roberts is under contract through 2024. As long as Holcomb is healthy, there's no denying that the top four in the room are Queen, Holcomb, Roberts and the newcomer in Wilson.

That will begin to raise questions and uncertainty for 2022 seventh-round pick Mark Robinson. The Steelers took a flier on the running back turned linebacker two offseasons ago and he immediately made his presence known in his rookie year's training camp. Known for being a hard-hitter, he came into his own in 2023, playing in all 17 games.

Robinson played nearly 67% of special teams' snaps, but only contributed to roughly 13% of plays on the defensive side of the ball. His efforts in the third phase of the game did not go unnoticed, but they might not be enough for him to get through training camp and the preseason. It's unlikely that Pittsburgh holds onto five interior linebackers in terms of the 53-man roster.

Back in December, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted on social media regarding Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin's thoughts on Robinson. Unfortunately, essentially two years into his professional career, the coaching staff doesn't seem to confident that he is ready to hold onto a full workload as a three-down linebacker.