Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Training camp standouts for 2018

By Randy Gurzi | Aug 3, 2018

TEMPE, AZ - JANUARY 02: Wide receiver James Washington #28 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys scores a 28 yard touchdown reception against the Washington Huskies during the first quarter of the TicketCity Cactus Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on January 2, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 04: James Conner #30 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half at Paul Brown Stadium on December 4, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

1. James Conner, Running Back

The best part about the future outlook for the Pittsburgh Steelers is that everyone on this list is incredibly young. Our last player to be highlighted is James Conner, the second-year running back out of Pitt, who is taking full advantage of the Le’Veon Bell holdout.

Working with the first team now, Conner has impressed. Noah Strackbein of the Still Curtain has taken notice and says how much better Conner looks this season than last.

"“Watching him at training camp, you see a future as an NFL back. Something you didn’t in his first season. He’s gone from reliable five yard run to breakout tackles and taking holes to the end zone.” — Noah Strackbein, Still Curtain"

Teammates have been praising Conner, who missed most of last season due to a knee injury, for his work so far this season. And if the Bell holdout continues, he could have a shot to continue to show off how much he’s grown as a player in the regular.

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Whether or not you’re a Steelers fan, Conner is a player that’s easy to root for. In 2015, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma but fought through that to play football again. He’s also announced he’s cancer-free, which is a victory much greater than any he will have on the field.

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