LATROBE, Pa. -- It was the first day in pads for the Steelers on Sunday and that meant it was time for a backs-on-backers drill to kick things off.
While it wasn't as spirited as it has gotten in some previous years, there were some surprises, stars and disappointments.
Ola Adeniyi, the second-year linebacker out of Toledo, proved to be a guy none of the running backs or tight ends could block, certainly not on a consistent basis.
In eight reps working against Travon McMillan, Benny Snell and Jaylen Samuels, Adeniyi got to the quarterback seven times using a variety of pass rush moves. Snell battled him to a draw on another attempt.
"I want to be a household name," he said following the practice.
At 6-foot-1, 248 pounds, Adeniyi has some similarities to James Harrison, and not just because he's also wearing No. 92. He can use power, speed or whatever it takes to get to the quarterback.
"Ola's been flashing and showing some burst," Mike Tomlin said. "It's been good competition between him and (Jerald Hawkins). Good young outside linebacker, offensive tackle competition."
Adeniyi opened camp as the second-team right outside linebacker behind Bud Dupree, so he hasn't gotten many reps against the first-team offense. But if he keeps doing what he's doing, that could change when the coaching staff tests him to see if he can make plays against quality offensive linemen.
"I'm just being patient, doing whatever I need to do; second team, third team, whatever I need to do to get that opportunity. I'll be ready for it," Adeniyi said.
• James Conner and Samuels struggled with pass protection in their rookie seasons. But Snell appears to have a pretty good knack for it.
Tomlin tested him with Tyler Matekevich first and Snell stoned the fourth-year inside linebacker both times.
Ben Roethlisberger, who took Sunday off -- along with a number of other veterans when it came to the contact drills -- was impressed.
"Nice job, Benny, nice job!" Roethlisberger yelled after Snell stuffed Matakevich a second time.
That earned Snell a step up in class to Adeniyi for his final reps.
"When you're the young running back, you're going to get called out a lot there," Tomlin said.
Adeniyi came away impressed with Snell's fight.
"Benny was waiting for this day to come, to put pads on," Adeniyi said. "Benny caught my attention."
• The Steelers paid Artie Burns' $800,000 roster bonus on Sunday. Many fans have written Burns off. The Steelers have not.
"No question he can have a role on this team," secondary coach Tom Bradley told me of Burns. "He’s a great competitor. And maybe he will."
Don't be surprised if the Steelers take a look at Burns as their third corner, with him playing outside opposite Joe Haden and Steven Nelson kicking inside to the slot in sub packages. The Steelers haven't done it yet, and maybe they won't, especially if Cam Sutton continues to keep picking off passes, as he did again on Sunday.
The idea seems to be to replace Mike Hilton in the slot.
• So, no, Hilton isn't getting a new contract.
In fact, one team source told me he laughed at the possibility, especially considering Hilton was benched in favor of Sutton late last season.
The Steelers have Hilton under contract for 2019 and they can keep him as a restricted free agent in 2020, as well.
Now, maybe Hilton beats the odds -- again -- and keeps the starting slot spot. If that's the case, then he'll have more bargaining power.
• Kameron Kelly continues to get good looks in this defense and is looking more and more like he could be the team's No. 3 safety.
When Sean Davis went out Sunday with what Tomlin thought was a dislocated finger, it was Kelly who replaced him.
Davis and Terrell Edmunds have been alternating between playing deep safety and down in the box, making the difference between free and strong safety just a name in this defense. Bradley told me the team wants that to happen because it gives the coaching staff the chance to do some different things with them.
At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Kelly, a former cornerback at San Diego State who joined the Steelers after a stint in the AAF, has the coverage skills to play with tight ends out of the backfield and the size to be a hitter.
He apparently also is a quick learner, which bodes well for him.
• A couple of other players to keep an eye on are Tuzar Skipper, a 6-foot-3, 246-pound linebacker out of Toledo, and J.T. Jones, a first-year 6-foot-3, 245-pound linebacker out of Miami (Ohio).
Both have excellent size and have looked good thus far.
They, along with Adeniyi, give the Steelers a definite MAC feeling in the linebacker room. Add Sutton Smith, a sixth-round draft pick out of Northern Illinois to the equation, and you've got four MAC outside linebackers in that room.
"In our room, we have four compared to the SEC and all of that. We run that room," Adeniyi joked.
• While Sunday's practice was the first in pads, it had kind of a sluggish feel to it. Maybe it was because so many veterans didn't take part.
Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey were held out on the offensive side of things, while Mark Barron got the day off on defense. And Cam Heyward and Conner didn't see any live action, either, even though they dressed and went through drills.
Tomlin is being careful with some of his team's front line players. Those guys will get plenty of hitting in once the regular season starts. Tomlin wants to make sure they get there.
But it does seem to take the air out of things a little bit when they're not out there.
• Two of the team's young tight ends showed up well in the backs-on-backers drill.
Kevin Rader and Trevor Wood both drew praise from the coaching staff for the fight they showed.
Rader, a first-year player out of Youngstown State, is a Pine-Richland High School graduate who went to camp with the Packers in 2018. He did a nice job on a couple of strong rushes from Jones, then held his own with Smith.
Wood, a rookie out of Texas A&M, is an interesting prospect, as well. He drew praise from Tomlin after stuffing Anthony Chickillo twice.
The fact the Steelers would put him in there against Chickillo is eye opening. Tomlin likes to get matchups that will test the young guys. And Chickillo, the team's top backup outside linebacker, is a nice test.
"Good fight, 88," Tomlin hollered at Wood after he stood Chickillo up twice.
Wood is also a long-snapper, and at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, has excellent size for that spot, as well.
• James Washington had a tough day on Sunday, letting a couple of catchable balls slip through his hands. But he and Donte Moncrief have looked good thus far opposite JuJu Smith-Schuster.
It's also noteworthy the drops came when Roethlisberger wasn't in there. There haven't been many drops when No. 7 has been throwing the ball.
• Matt Feiler continues to work with the first-team offense at right tackle and he just might hold down that job. But when you watch Chuks Okorafor work, he has the look of a future starter.
Okorafor is effortless coming out of his stance and has really nice feet. If he doesn't wind up starting this season, it won't be because he failed, but because Feiler is a solid technician, as well.