The 2019 NFL Preseason is officially underway, and the optimism for the Pittsburgh Steelers is growing due to a few exciting performances. While the team learned a few things from Friday night’s exhibition contest, there were few surprises here at Pro Football Network. We have been looking in-depth at this team for months, and those standouts began matching those expectations we set forth at the start of the offseason. Without further adieu, let’s dive into some of the action against the Buccaneers.

Rookie Bush early returns look promising

The Steelers traded up in the first round to select Michigan linebacker Devin Bush at number ten overall. The team gave up a lot because of their belief in Bush and their overwhelming need at the position. Since the loss of Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh has been looking for a new leader and face of this defense. After watching Friday’s action, it appears they may have found just that in the speedy Bush. The Michigan product was previously mentioned here as the perfect replacement for Shazier, but check out this quote from head coach Mike Tomlin below.

Coach Tomlin said Devin Bush's performance on Friday night reminded him of Ryan Shazier's first home preseason game his rookie year. — Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) August 13, 2019

Bush was a man on a mission during his first NFL game action, racking up ten total tackles and impressing all those watching the young rookie linebacker. That includes the NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger, who had glowing praise for Bush. He was also just fingertips away from a pick-six on backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert, which would have been icing on the cake. ESPN’s Louis Riddick says that Bush’s film against Tampa was ‘ridiculous.’

This play, highlighted by Nick Farabaugh, shows off Bush’s great quickness and reaction time to a Buccaneers second-quarter run. His ability to read the game and consistently make plays all of the fields was extremely encouraging.

Bush flew right through this gap. Recognize, react, and fly right on down. Great play by Bush and Adeniyi off the edge. pic.twitter.com/AXmb1cub6s — Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) August 10, 2019

While Bush looks like an apparent Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate, he was not the only Steelers’ rookie linebacker that impressed on the night. Fellow inside man Ulysses Gilbert recorded one and a half sacks and a forced fumble. He also made a great break on the ball for an interception in coverage on a two-point pass attempt.

Great job to mirror and just break on this thing by Ulysees Gilbert. He’s having a great day. pic.twitter.com/BKgNrl1cQR — Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) August 10, 2019

Vince Williams and Bush appear to have the inside track as the starters, but Gilbert could earn some valuable playing time with a solid week two. The linebacker group should be a strength this year, and that will go a long way for the Steelers defense as a whole.

Washington breakout continues to loom big

Back in May, I mentioned second-year receiver James Washington as a potential breakout candidate in 2019. After one preseason game, that prediction certainly looks promising for the young Steeler. Since the team brought in fellow receiver Donte Moncrief this offseason, the competition has been intense for the number two job opposite JuJu Smith-Schuster. Moncrief had appeared to be leading the race due to his early rapport with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. That may no longer be the case due to Washington’s performance against Tampa Bay.

Against the Buccaneers, Washington had a coming-out party of sorts, as he racked up four catches for 84 yards and a score. He ran crisp routes and routinely found his way behind the defense for significant gains. He has shown a modest improvement in his second year and is a real threat to open the year as a starter for Pittsburgh. His connection with backups Josh Dobbs and Mason Rudolph was obvious, but it will be interesting to see how things translate when Roethlisberger gets back under center.

Stock down for Okorafor and two defensive backs

Chukwuma Okorafor entered the offseason as the top competition for incumbent right tackle starter Matt Feiler. After one preseason game, it appears Feiler’s hold on the job may have tightened. Okorafor struggled mightily during his time in the lineup on Friday. He played too slow and was not able to get in position quickly and consistently enough to neutralize the Tampa Bay’s pass rushers. He was a big prospect with great tools when the team drafted him in 2018, but it appears he has a long way to go for relevance in this offense.

Two other players that stood out in the wrong way were second-year safety Marcus Allen and rookie corner Justin Layne. Allen entered the offseason primed to compete for the prominent role in the secondary and maybe a starting safety spot. He appeared out of position and was abused in coverage all night against the Buccaneers. Layne is another project for the Steelers and did nothing to quell those thoughts last Friday evening. He was hesitant to challenge receivers and showed poor tackling on a screen-play to Chris Godwin for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Scott Gorman is a writer for PFN covering the Pittsburgh Steelers. He additionally covers the SEC for the NFL Draft team. You can follow him @sgormanPFN on Twitter.