This time tomorrow, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be back on the practice field for the first day of their three-day rookie minicamp. The highlights here will be the team’s drafted class, first rounder OT Broderick Jones through seventh-round selection OL Spencer Anderson. But mixed among them will be 20+ tryout players. We already know a large batch of those names, you can find them all here, and we know two more players attending.
According to an HBCU Twitter account, there are two more HBCU players attending minicamp: Fort Valley State DB Tyler Moore and Alabama State DT Brandon Gaddy.
Last season, Moore, listed as a free safety, recorded 65 tackles (4.5 TFL) and two interceptions. He also broke up seven passes. At Kennesaw State’s Pro Day in March, Moore weighed in at 5107, 177 pounds and ran a 4.69 40. He also jumped 31.5 inches in the vertical and 9’11” in the broad, poor testing given his size. Still, he was highly regarded in the conference, an All-SIAC selection last season.
Gaddy is a Maryland transfer who switched to Alabama State for the 2021 season. In 2022, he racked up 57 tackles (10.5 TFL) with two sacks and one blocked kick. He scored an invite to UAB’s Pro Day and weighed in at 6024, 314 pounds. There, he ran a 5.60 40 with a 24-inch vertical. While at Maryland, he recorded 15 tackles (1 TFL) and a sack. He also participated in this year’s HBCU Legacy Bowl.
Pittsburgh has brought in several HBCU players for minicamp, perhaps a nod to the team’s history and success finding players from those schools. Omar Khan was also the only NFL general manager to attend this year’s HBCU Combine. Other HBCU-based invites include Virginia Union OL Darian Bryant, Morgan State RB Alfonzo Graham, and North Carolina A&T center Dacquari Wilson.
The Steelers’ rookie minicamp begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday. Pittsburgh has four open roster spots on its offseason roster and will likely sign several tryout players participating this weekend.
