The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 offseason practices concluded in the middle of June and next up is their annual training camp, which gets underway in late July at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Ahead of training camp, we will preview the team’s offseason roster three players at a time for you as part of a 30-post series. This Steelers roster preview, which includes outlooks for every player, will be done alphabetically by last name to make it easy to follow.
The next three players we will preview ahead of Steelers 2023 training camp are Alfonzo Graham, Kendrick Green, and Darius Hagans.
RB Alfonzo Graham: While not one of the undrafted free agents that the Steelers initially signed this year, Graham, a Morgan State product, was inked to a three-year contract after trying out in the team’s rookie minicamp. In two seasons at Morgan State, Graham, who reportedly measured in at his 2023 Pro Day at 5087, 185-pounds, registered 1,656 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 250 total carries. Additionally, the running back registered 31 receptions for another 233 yards and a touchdown in those two seasons. Graham also returned 18 kickoffs for 402 yards in his two seasons at Morgan State.
Outlook: Size might be the biggest obstacle when it comes to Graham’s future in the NFL as he’s not even 5’9″. While he should get every opportunity to show he can play in the NFL during training camp and the preseason, the Steelers generally like their third-string running backs to be able to play some on special teams, which could be an issue for the undersized Graham. Honestly, he will need a lot of help when it comes to him making the 53-man roster this year. If we’re being realistic with Graham, he’d probably be doing well to snag a Week 1 spot on the Steelers’ practice squad.
C Kendrick Green: After a very unappetizing 2021 rookie season as the Steelers’ starting center, Green, a former third-round draft pick out of Illinois, didn’t play a single snap in 2022. In fact, Green wasn’t even active for a game in 2022 as he was buried at the bottom of the interior linemen depth chart behind the likes of J.C. Hassenauer, who was the backup center to starter Mason Cole. The Steelers even chose to dress veteran offensive lineman Jesse Davis over Green last season. All of that came on the heels of Green logging 977 offensive snaps in 2021 as a rookie.
Outlook: It’s going to be quite interesting to see how the rest of the 2023 summer plays out for Green, who has the most NFL experience on the Steelers’ 90-man roster at the center position behind Cole. Green mostly played guard in college, but the Steelers seem pretty deep at that position ahead of training camp. Quite honestly, Green’s chances of making the 53-man roster again this summer probably revolve around him winning the backup center job. The Steelers. however, might still be in the market for such a late-summer addition. If that happens, Green’s best chances of sticking in Pittsburgh might be as a practice squad player.
RB Darius Hagans: Hagans, a 2023 rookie undrafted free agent out of Virginia State, was signed to the offseason 90-man roster in early June following him being waived by the Indianapolis Colts. In three seasons at Virginia State, Hagans rushed 420 times for 2,069 yards with 17 touchdowns. He also had 31 catches for another 428 yards and five touchdowns in those three seasons. At his 2023 Pro Day, Hagans reportedly measured in at 5115, 207-pounds.
Outlook: The Steelers will be looking for a third-string running back this summer. If the well-put-together Hagans can stay healthy and show some special teams ability, in addition to playing well in the backfield, he might just be able to grab a Week 1 53-man roster spot. That will be harder to do than what it sounds like, however, and there’s always the chance that the Steelers will wind up adding a more experienced running back to their offseason roster as the summer progresses. Even if Hagans doesn’t make the Steelers’ 53-man roster out of training camp and the preseason, he still figures to have a shot at making the team’s practice squad should he stick all summer on the roster.
Previous Posts In This Series:
90 In 30: Steelers 2023 Training Camp Preview Series: Montravius Adams, Spencer Anderson, Calvin Austin III
90 In 30: Steelers 2023 Training Camp Preview Series: Luq Barcoo, Keeanu Benton, Chris Boswell
90 In 30: Steelers 2023 Training Camp Preview Series: Miles Boykin, Ja’Marcus Bradley, Hakeem Butler
90 In 30: Steelers 2023 Training Camp Preview Series: Jordan Byrd, Dan Chisena, Le’Raven Clark
90 In 30: Steelers 2023 Training Camp Preview Series: Mason Cole, Dylan Cook, James Daniels
90 In 30: Steelers 2023 Training Camp Preview Series: Duke Dawson, Kevin Dotson, William Dunkle
90 In 30: Steelers 2023 Training Camp Preview Series: Breiden Fehoko, Dez Fitzpatrick, Minkah Fitzpatrick
90 In 30: Steelers 2023 Training Camp Preview Series: Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Markus Golden
