LATROBE, Pa. -- Mike Tomlin loves to challenge young players. In fact, it's a lot like a video game.
Earn a victory over one player on a consistent basis, and Tomlin will move you up the food chain. It's kind of like beating the boss on a particular level and then moving on to the next one.
A week into the Steelers' training camp at Saint Vincent College, rookies Devin Bush and Benny Snell have been paired up a lot in passing drills. And thus far, it's been Snell, the running back, who has gotten the better of the action against the young linebacker -- though the drills do favor the offensive player heavily.
Thursday, that had Snell winning all three of their matchups in the open-field pass-catching drill, though Bush did rebound to break up a pass in a fourth rep working against James Conner.
It's all part of the process for both young players.
"They both come with the same resumé, which is very little," Tomlin said after practice. "So, you pit young guy versus young guy and see their natural skillset, where their floor is and who's able to dominate that matchup, and maybe get some more seasoned and experienced guys.
"You earn your way to varsity snaps. A lot of those things are young guys versus young guys. If you show that, you'll get an opportunity to see (running back) Jaylen Samuels or (linebacker) Tyler Matakevich on the other side of the ball."
That Snell is more polished as a pass catcher than anyone might have thought coming out of Kentucky is a bit of a revelation. He didn't get many passes thrown his way in college, catching just 29 in his three-year career, compared to 737 carries.
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