The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to try and leave no stone unturned when it comes to the secondary.
According to Houston NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers worked out four defensive backs Wednesday, including Don Gardner, Rachad Wildgoose, Thakarius Keyes, and Rejzohn Wright.
As Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora previously wrote about Tuesday, Gardner was expected to come into Pittsburgh for a workout with the Steelers.
Gardner was previously waived/injured by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a hamstring injury before the regular season. An undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State in 2022, he clocked a 4.48 40-yard dash at his Pro Day and measured in at 6004, 189 pounds with 31 1/4-inch arms.
Wright went undrafted out of Oregon State in the 2023 NFL Draft and has spent some time with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders so far this season. He was waived in late August by Carolina and then was released from the Raiders’ practice squad on October 11. He is the younger brother of Dallas Cowboys cornerback Nahhshon Wright.
Check out the draft profile that Steelers Depot’s own Owen Straley did on Wright prior to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Wright measured in at 6015 at his Pro Day at Oregon State, weighing in at 193 pounds with 32 1/2-inch arms. He was named first-team All-PAC 12 in 2022.
Wright saw action in the preseason with the Panthers, playing 77 snaps in three games. Wright graded out at a 61.6 overall from Pro Football Focus in the preseason, including a 57.9 in coverage and a 74.9 in run defense. He allowed three receptions on four targets for 42 yards, while 53 of his 77 snaps defensively came in the slot.
Keyes, better known as BoPete Keyes, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Tulane by the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s since spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans (twice), Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns.
Keyes previously signed with the Browns in early July but was waived three weeks later and had not found a landing spot prior to working out with the Steelers on Wednesday. He measured in at 6’1″, 202 pounds with 32 5/8-inch arms at the NFL Scouting Combine.
In two seasons in the NFL, Keyes has seen just 88 snaps defensively with 80 of them coming in 2020 with the Chiefs. He’s allowed five receptions on seven targets for 94 yards and a touchdown in the NFL during the regular season playing primarily on the boundary.
Wildgoose is another Wisconsin product that the Steelers are quite familiar with. Wildgoose was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and has since spent time with the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders. He previously signed a one-year extension with the Commanders on February 28, 2022, but was waived before the final roster cuts in August.
Wildgoose played 79 snaps in the preseason for the Commanders, grading out at a 50.4 overall, though his final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals saw him grade out at 83.6 overall. Wildgoose allowed nine receptions on 12 targets for 73 yards and a touchdown, though the longest reception he gave up in the preseason was 14 yards.
Last season with the Commanders, Wildgoose played 196 total defensive snaps, grading out at a 50.7 overall defensively. He allowed 11 receptions on 20 targets for 97 yards but recorded two pass breakups, playing 178 snaps in the slot.
