(TNS) — Nearly 20 Steelers won’t play in Saturday’s preseason opener in Jacksonville.

A few of them are injured, but the others are entrenched starters and don’t need the preseason to get ready for the regular season. Most importantly, the Steelers don’t need to expose their stars to injury risk in meaningless games.

For the rest of the Steelers’ 90-man roster, preseason games are proving grounds. The practices are important in the evaluation process, but the games are weighed more by the coaches who have 17 more days until they have to trim the roster to 53.

Undrafted rookies can earn spots on the 53-man roster — and draft picks and newly acquired veterans can cement their roles on the team.

Here’s a look at some new Steelers and some veterans with much to prove this preseason:

1. Yahya Black

No. 1 pick Derrick Harmon has been getting most of the headlines in training camp among the rookies, but there is another rookie defensive lineman who has been impressing the coaches.

Yahya Black, a fifth-round pick out of Iowa, was a big part of the offseason’s plan to acquire and develop bigger and more physical players. At 6-6 and 336 pounds, Black certainly fits the bill. You don’t get an appreciation for how big Black is until you see him stand next to his teammates on the defensive line.

But he’s more than just a big body. Black has been the Steelers’ best reserve defensive lineman in camp and is pushing for a role in the rotation. Black has been a force against the run, but he’s highly disruptive as a pass rusher, especially with his uncanny ability to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage.

“He’s a high-energy big for an enormous man,” Tomlin said. “He hustles, he finishes, and I think that’s a good place to begin from a skill development standpoint. Obviously, it’s a work in progress, but there’s a lot to like.”

The Steelers set out to add size and youth after the Ravens pushed them around in the AFC wild-card loss in January. Harmon, who is scheduled to play against the Jaguars, has been impressive in his starting role. He’ll line up alongside Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton once the regular season begins.

Black has been one of the biggest surprises of camp. The Steelers acquired veteran Daniel Ekuale in free agency and also have Isaiahh Loudermilk and Logan Lee battling for spots in the rotation among the reserves. Black has outplayed all of them.

The Steelers probably weren’t expecting a fifth-round pick to stand out as much as he has, but it’s been one of the more positive developments for a position group desperate for an infusion of talent.

2. Broderick Jones

Jones still wears No. 77, but a couple of things are different this year for the 2023 first-round pick. The first thing you’ll notice about Jones is his body. He’s noticeably thinner after dropping about 30 pounds over the offseason. He slimmed down so he could be lighter on his feet.

Broderick Jones (77) of the Pittsburgh Steelers takes to the field before the game at Acrisure Stadium on Dec. 8, 2024, in Pittsburgh.

Justin Berl/Getty Images/TNS

You’ll also have to get used to him being on the left side of the line. Jones spent his first two NFL seasons at right tackle, but he played left tackle at Georgia and prefers to play there.

No player in training camp has been under the spotlight more than Jones, whose reps have been scrutinized from the first day of practice. He missed some time with a groin injury early in camp, but he’s scheduled to start against the Jaguars.

“Being back on the left side has been a confidence booster for me, so I just have to continue to lock in,” Jones said.

The reason there is so much focus on Jones is the position he plays. As a left tackle, he’ll be responsible for protecting Aaron Rodgers’ blindside. It’s a high-pressure job, but Jones knows what’s ahead of him. He’ll be facing the top pass rushers on every team the Steelers face.

“I just want to keep Aaron up all season,” he said.

No. 3 Roman Wilson

With Calvin Austin III out due to an injury, second-year receiver Roman Wilson has been getting more opportunities in practice, and he’s starting to look like he belongs. Wilson, who spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve, had a slow start to training camp, but recently he’s displayed the talent the Steelers saw in him when they made him their third-round pick last spring.

“Roman really cares about it,” Rodgers said. “I just have to get Ro out of his head a little bit. He’s such a good kid. He cares so much about my approval or if he’s doing it right. He has to trust himself because he’s so damn talented. The more he can play free and not think out there, the better he’s going to play. The more he can trust and just go out and react, the better he’s going to play.”

Beyond DK Metcalf being the undisputed No. 1 target in the offense, the rest of the roles in the receiver rotation are up for grabs. And unless GM Omar Khan plans to make a trade before the start of the season, Wilson has a chance to solidify his place in the receiver rotation with a strong preseason.

No. 4 Jack Sawyer

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig will not play against the Jaguars, so we’ll see plenty of Sawyer, who has been one of the top rookies in camp. The Steelers acquired Sawyer to shore up their run defense, but he’s been better than advertised as a pass rusher in practices. If he can carry over that production into the preseason games, it will be an added bonus.

There have been seasons in the recent past when the Steelers were woefully thin at outside linebacker, but Sawyer and Herbig give the coaches plenty of options in how they can construct their rotation once the regular season gets here.

No. 5 Brandin Echols

The top three corners won’t play either, giving Echols a chance to carry his strong practices over into games. Echols wasn’t one of Khan’s big offseason acquisitions, but he’s been a pleasant surprise. The Steelers had to get more quality depth in their secondary, and Echols has staked claim to the top backup role at corner. It’s a good thing, too, because Corey Trice Jr. is injured again and will not play against the Jaguars.

Echols has been tight in coverage in practices and has grabbed a couple of interceptions. He can play outside and in the slot and has five career interceptions, including two last season in his final year with the Jets.