“So far, so good.” That’s exactly what rookie Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Daniel McCullers recently said when asked how his first NFL training camp is going.
McCullers, who was drafted with second of two sixth-round selections that the Steelers had this year, should be getting his fair share of reps right now during training camp practices with starter Steve McLendon sidelined the last four sessions because of a concussion.
While things seem to be going well for the super-sized Tennessee product, he knows he still has a long way to go until he can consider himself ready to play on a regular basis.
“I’m trying to get adjusted to the system, learning your plays, technique and your keys. That’s the biggest thing, watching the film and just working on my technique,” said the nearly 6-7 McCullers.
McCullers went on to repeat that watching film is a big part of what he’s doing right now during training camp and that he’s doing a lot of it.
“We’re in there probably three hours a day looking at film, tape,” he said.
McCullers is more than likely battling fellow backup nose tackle Hebron Fangupo for a spot on the final 53 man roster this summer and the two appear to rotating out snaps quite equally.
During the Wednesday edition of Steelers Live, former Steelers offensive lineman and current sideline reporter for the team’s radio network, Craig Wolfley, chimed in with his latest thoughts on McCullers.
“He runs everybody back to the quarterback, whether it’s Maurkice Pouncey to Chris Elkins on one-on-ones,” said Wolfley. “He gets in there. Now the first thing is, he’s got to get himself ready pre snap, which John Mitchell, the one-man Paris Island, is all over him about. And then you got to go and you got to make sure that you are off on the snap of the ball. He’s a little late. Having said all that, when you watch people try and run block him, it’s almost humorous.”
Should McLendon wind up missing the Steelers first preseason game Saturday night against the New York Giants, we should get a lot of opportunities to see just how humorous McCullers can make the Giants backup interior offensive lineman look. It will also be interesting to see if he enters the game before or after Fangupo does.
McCullers does, however, sound like he’s ready to hit someone other than his own teammates for a change.
“We’ve put on pads, finally, and we hit each other each and every day, so its a lot more physical, but overall we’re doing pretty good.”
