The Steelers put the pads on for the first time in this training camp Wednesday. And while not all of the 6,000 tickets that were distributed were matched by fans in the seats, those were in attendance were treated to a show by two of the team's most recent high draft picks, Najee Harris and Alex Highsmith.
Harris, the running back out of Alabama who was the Steelers' first-round pick this year, was tested early and often in the team's 44 reps of its famous backs-on-backers drill, getting five reps. But Harris won six of his seven reps in the one-on-one competition, being beaten off his spot only on the opening rep by linebacker Marcus Allen.
After that, it was all Harris in that matchup, with the running back immediately calling for a second rep against Allen, a converted safety and winning that one. Harris then stood Allen up the next two times they squared off.
Satisfied that Harris could handle Allen, Mike Tomlin moved Harris up in weight class on his final rep, sending linebacker Robert Spillane at him. Harris stood Spillane up, as well.
"Backs on backers is more of an attitude drill," Tomlin said. "It's an opportunity to get to know some of these people. I think we all saw that Najee likes competition, and he doesn't run away from it. He runs to it. That was something that was exciting from my perspective about the drill today."
One reporter suggested Harris struggled on his first three reps of the drill, which puts the running back in the backfield and has a linebacker, either inside or outside charge at them at the snap of the ball to try to get to the quarterback -- or lines a tight end up at the end of the line and simulates a pass rush in a similar situation against an outside linebacker. Tomlin couldn't shoot that theory down quickly enough.
"I would disagree with that," Tomlin said before the question was even finished. "Your words, not mine."
When the reporter backtracked and said Harris seemed to get better the more reps he got at the drill, that was something Tomlin wholeheartedly agreed with.
"His demeanor was telling," Tomlin said. "He had an appetite for that action."
It was a good sample, but a very small sample size. I'm not rushing to judge or seeking comfort. We're all in that mindset where we drafted a guy in the first round, 'Boy, he's ready to go.' No, it was one practice. There will be subsequent practices and we'll see where it goes in that regard."
It wasn't the only thing Harris did well.
In the seven-shots drill to open practice -- which places the ball at the 2-yard line -- Ben Roethlisberger's first pass, which was intended for Chase Claypool, was broken up by Cam Sutton.
On the second play, Roethlisberger motioned Harris to the outside on his left. Inside linebacker Devin Bush followed the rookie running back out to the edge. Twice Roethlisberger motioned for Harris to get out even wider.
If there was any doubt where the ball was going, it was quickly dispelled at the snap, as Harris ran a quick slant, breaking behind the wide receivers on that side. Bush closed quickly and had good coverage, but the 6-2, 230-pound running back screened the linebacker off, caught the ball and fought his way into the end zone for a score.
Then, on the first play of an 11-on-11 inside run drill, Harris, who had just stood Spillane up moments before in the last rep of backs on backers before jogging over for the new session, took a handoff from Roethlisberger, burst through the line of scrimmage and then cut back to his left, picking up 12 yards before being tackled by three defenders.
His next carry netted just one yard and his final two were both blown up by Highsmith before he could get going, as the second-year outside linebacker beat rookie offensive tackle Dan Moore off the snap and pushed rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth back into Harris for a three-yard loss. On Harris' final carry, Highsmith again beat Moore off the snap to drop Harris for a two-yard loss.
"I thought we hit a run or two initially early, but then I thought (Highsmith) was stout at the point of attack when we ran over in that direction," Tomlin conceded. "But he was playing against a younger guy who was in his first exposure to the drill. You can paint with a broad brush. I'm just going to keep snapping the ball and let those guys reveal who they are."
The offense, playing with mostly backup offensive lineman, wound up gaining 26 yards on nine rushing attempts, 10 of which came on a jet sweep by first-year receiver Matthew Sexton.
Even though Tomlin was quick to point out Highsmith is a "veteran," he's not a grizzled vet.
Highsmith, a third-round draft pick, played 437 snaps as a rookie in 2020, starting the final five games of the regular season and in the playoffs after Bud Dupree was lost to an ACL injury. He's being counted on to help ease the loss of Dupree in free agency, and looked the part Wednesday also posting a strong showing in backs on backers, where he had his way with Freiermuth and fellow tight end Eric Ebron in his reps against them.
But Tomlin isn't putting too much stock into that.
"We include the tight ends in that drill just to give them some work, really to give the outside linebackers some work," Tomlin said. "Often times in today's game, tight ends, or combinations of tight ends, block outside linebackers. Their participation was more about providing competition for the outside linebackers more than anything else in the (blitz) pickup drill. The thing we want to see from the tight ends will be the run drill the next time we're in pads against outside linebackers."
That could come as soon as Thursday and typically does come the day after the Steelers do backs-on-backers.
After all, you've got to give the tight ends a chance to redeem themselves.
• Ebron left practice early with an elbow injury, while first-year guard Anthony Coyle suffered a stinger.
Those were the only two injuries during a physical practice, though a lot of players were held out of the contact.
While Roethlisberger was back as a full participant after being given Tuesday off for personal reasons, and nickel corner Antoine Brooks returned as a full participant, as well, after leaving early Sunday, offensive tackles Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor were in pads but did not take part in team drills.
They still did more than guard Kevin Dotson, defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt, center J.C. Hassenauer, wide receiver Cody White and linebacker T.J. Watt.
All were held out of everything Wednesday, though Tuitt and Watt got plenty of work in on the sideline pulling a weighted cart.
Strong safety Terrell Edmunds also was held out of the live tackling drills Wednesday, though he participated in everything else.
• The only player who had much luck stuffing Highsmith Wednesday was fourth-year pro Aviante Collins. In one-on-one blocking drills late in practice, Collins stood Highsmith up on their first rep, then did it again on their next, getting kudos from his teammates.
Collins, who was signed as an undrafted rookie out of TCU by the Vikings in 2017, spent three seasons with Minnesota, bouncing on and off the practice squad. He has appeared in five career games, starting one, that coming in 2019.
Collins ran a 4.81-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2017 -- the best of any lineman that year -- and at 6-foot-4, 298 pounds, did 34 reps on the bench press, the second-most of any lineman in his class.
The Steelers signed him to a reserve/futures contract Feb. 2.
Doing well in the one-on-one drills will earn you extra looks in practice. Collins had been running with the third team at left tackle. We'll see if that changes in the coming days.
• The Steelers seem intent on perhaps using Anthony McFarland in more ways this season than they did a year ago.
The second-year running back is getting some serious looks as a wing player lining up for jet sweeps, even with another running back on the field, and he's getting plenty of work not only as a kick returner -- a job he did at times in 2020 -- but as a punt returner in this camp, as well.
Could McFarland, who ran an official 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, perhaps push Ray-Ray McCloud for playing time both on offense and as the team's punt returner?
"I've never done it in a game," McFarland said of returning punts. "I've been a kick returner in games. I always did it in college and in practice during my rookie year. It's something I'm getting comfortable at. It's something I plan on doing when my number gets called."
McFarland is still listed at 5-foot-8, 193 pounds, but said he's put on five pounds since last season. He didn't want to get too heavy and lose his speed.
That still makes him heavier than the 5-9, 190-pound McCloud, who handled the punt return duties for the Steelers in 2020 and is currently the team's fifth wide receiver.
Could McFarland be the jet-sweep guy and fifth receiver as well as being a backup running back in offensive coordinator Matt Canada's attack?
"The passing game is always something I'm working on," McFarland said. "Anywhere they want to put me to help the team, that's where I want to be."
McFarland, who played sparingly as a rookie, did catch a 13-yard pass off a misdirection play-action bootleg from Mason Rudolph during 11-on-11s, though he later fumbled a short pass at the end of practice.
McFarland was matched with Spillane in his three reps in backs-on-backers and while he was competitive, he lost all three times.
"I know pass protection is something I have to work on," McFarland said. "It's all about coming out here and getting better."