After months of additions, both through the NFL draft and free agency, we will soon enter the portion of the off-season focused on roster cuts. Pittsburgh Steelers training camp begins at the end of July, and by August 29, the roster must be trimmed from 90 to 53 players.

Speaking of additions, the Steelers made some major upgrades to their defense in free agency. Cole Holcomb (Washington Commanders) and Elandon Roberts (Miami Dolphins) provide strong play at the inside linebacker position. Safety Keanu Neal (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and cornerback Patrick Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) offer Pittsburgh strong veteran leaders in the secondary.

Pittsburgh also added second-round pick Keanu Benton (Wisconsin) to solidify a defensive line that desperately needed an inside presence next to Cameron Heyward. Other notable draft picks include first rounder Broderick Jones — an offensive tackle out of Georgia — and Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (a second-round selection).

With so many new faces, this places pressure on incumbent Steelers to perform. Which veteran players in Pittsburgh could face the axe during training camp?

3 cut candidates on Steelers roster ahead of NFL training camp

Chukwuma Okorafor (OT)

Three years as the Steelers' starting right tackle, and Chukwuma Okorafor has undeniably been a weak link on the Pittsburgh offensive line. His best Pro Football Focus season player grade during this stretch was 63.6 — barely enough to put him in the “average” category.

With first-round pick Broderick Jones now in the fold, Dan Moore Jr.'s spot at left tackle seemed to be the most up for grabs. But Mike DeFabo — the Steelers' beat writer over at The Athletic — has reported that Moore also took first-team reps at right tackle during training camp. Both Jones and Moore are natural left tackles, but poor performances over the last few years mean that Chukwuma Okorafor cannot rest easy this summer.

Pressley Harvin (P)

After an illustrious college career at Georgia Tech, Pressley Harvin was the only punter selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for Harvin, his two seasons in the NFL have been wildly inconsistent. For every 65-yard bomb that pins the opponent inside the 20, he seemingly has a 40-yard line drive that sets up a favorable return.

Among the NFL's 34 eligible punters in 2022, Harvin finished 28th both in yards per punt and percentage of punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. These finishes come even after he posted a two-yard increase in yards/punt and a three-yard jump in net yards/punt from his frustrating rookie season.

The Steelers brought in former Jets punter Braden Mann to provide competition for Harvin this offseason, and Mann has a solid shot to win the job. The former Texas A&M punter was 17th in yards/punt last year and, more importantly, has demonstrated consistency over the previous two campaigns. Don't be surprised if Mann beats out Pressley Harvin in training camp.

Gunnar Olszewski (WR/PR)

The Steelers signed former New England Patriot Gunner Olszewski on a two-year, $4.2 million deal last year to provide a much-needed upgrade in the return game and the special teams unit as a whole. Instead, Olszewski fumbled twice in the first four weeks of the season, and the former Bemidji State Beaver barely returned a kick the rest of the season.

Surprisingly, Olsewski is still a Steeler, but he was face some stiff competition for the return role in training camp. Rookie undrafted free agent Jordan Byrd had four career return touchdowns (three kickoffs, one punt) at San Diego State — earning him First-Team All-Mountain West honors in his final two collegiate seasons. Expect the SDSU playmaker to get a long look in preseason.