This offseason could see a lot of turnover on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive line. While veteran Cameron Heyward will be back, Larry Ogunjobi, Chris Wormley, and Tyson Alualu are all set to hit free agency and there is a possibility none of them will be back.
DeMarvin Leal is one name that many people will expect to break out on the defensive line next season as he enters his second year, but there may be another name to watch for: Renell Wren. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Wren hasn’t seen much game time in his career, playing in only 13 career games, with 11 coming in his rookie season.
Wren joined the Steelers this year on September 2nd, when the team added him to their practice squad where he spent most of the season. He finally got game action in Week 17 when he saw one snap against the Baltimore Ravens.
Although he did not see much game time, Wren believes he can be part of the future. At only 27-years-old, Wren still has time to grow as a player and carve out a niche role with Pittsburgh. He told Chris Adamski of Trib Live he believes he can stick around in Pittsburgh.
“Most definitely, I feel like I can be part of the future here,” Wren said to Adamski. “I talk to (general manager Omar Khan) and (coach Mike Tomlin) here and there, to see my progression, and regularly meet with (defensive line coach Karl Dunbar). Everything is coming to me here, and I feel like I can be a good fit.”
While Wren is certainly not going to be a name that stands out on the defensive line in the current room, it does say something that he was able to get a hat in a huge game against the Ravens with playoffs on the line at the end of the season.
Although he only saw one snap, it is encouraging that he was impressing the Pittsburgh coaching staff behind the scenes. There’s a saying that goes “how you practice is how you play.” If Wren is practicing hard he will probably play hard, too, when he is out on the field.
Wren will be a name to watch come training camp to see how he looks and maybe even see if he can carve himself out a bigger role on the Steelers’ defensive line.
