Profiling the Pittsburgh Steelers’ undrafted free agents we didn’t have pre-draft reports on. Today, a scouting report on Charlotte EDGE Julius Welschof.
#96 JULIUS WELSCHOF, EDGE, CHARLOTTE — 6065, 257 pounds (Redshirt Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Julius Welschof | 6065, 257 | 10 1/4″ | 32 1/4″ | 79 3/4″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.82 | 1.64 | 4.40 | 7.01 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’2″ | 32.5″ | DNP |
The Good
-Looks the part at the position with good size, length
-Comfortably plays as a true EDGE standing up or with hand in the dirt on interior
-Sound run defender with good football IQ; understands what teams are trying to do
-Sets the edge well against the run, helping turn things back inside
-Rarely fooled by ball fakes and misdirection
-Shows consistent effort on tape; doesn’t take any plays off and competes through the whistle
The Bad
-Very limited pass-rush arsenal with little juice
-Doesn’t convert speed to power consistently, needs to develop hand usage more
-Just doesn’t appear to have a plan at the snap in pass-rush situations
-Got by during collegiate career more on effort than skill
-On the much older side as a prospect; turned 27 in March
-Can be overpowered by opposing linemen; has not truly tapped into power potential with frame.
Bio
-Transferred to Charlotte for 2023 season, following head coach Biff Poggi from Michigan
-Spent previous five seasons at Michigan, playing in 35 games
-Appearing in all 14 games at Michigan in 2022 as Wolverines made CFP appearance, recording six total tackles; had half a sack in 2021
-Was named Michigan’s Special Team Player of the Week in 2022 thanks to two-tackle performance against Rutgers
-Three-star recruit coming out of Miesbach, Bavaria, Germany
-Played football in Germany for the Munich Cowboys, a club team
-Two-time Academic All-Big Ten at Michigan; earned Athletic Director’s List accolades in Spring 2023
-Turned 27 years old in March
-Trained by former NFL defensive lineman Brandon Collier after discovering football in 2015 in Jacksonville, Fla.
-Grew up a competitive skier in Germany
Tape Breakdown
The NFL continues the push to be a true global game, and new Pittsburgh Steelers undrafted free agent EDGE Julius Welschof could help with that.
A native of Miesbach, Bavaria, Germany, Welschof first found football at the age of 15 while visiting family in Jacksonville. From there, he decided to change his path, leaving competitive skiing to pursue football, eventually leading to a scholarship at Michigan, a stint at Charlotte and now a shot in the NFL.
As a native of Germany, Welschof is International Player Pathway eligible, meaning the Steelers get an extra roster spot with him. They can keep him on the practice squad without him counting against the 16-man practice squad.
They’ll need that extra spot because Welschof is a significant project.
Coming out of Charlotte, he certainly looks the part at 6065, 257 pounds, but the tape leaves quite a bit to be desired.
He plays hard, defends the run well and is rarely fooled by misdirection and ball fakes, which is a great foundation to have on the edge. But there is very little there as a pass rusher overall.
It’s very rare in his tape, but there is the flash of speed to power in his game.
Here against South Carolina State to open the 2023 season at Charlotte, Welschof does a good job of generating speed off the line at the snap and then exploding through the chest of the South Carolina State lineman.
It doesn’t lead to a sack, but it muddies the pocket and shows that Welschof can do it, even if it’s rare on tape.
Welschof just really doesn’t have a plan as a pass rusher. A lot of it is effort and trying to win by outworking the blocker. That’s not going to cut it at the next level.
He needs to add some play strength to his game, too.
That’s against Georgia State offensive tackle Travis Glover, a player the Steelers showed interest in before he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.
Welschof gets tossed like a rag doll at the end of the rep, which was a failed pass-rush move that really had no rhyme or reason to it.
He’s going to have to make his mark as a run defender early at the next level.
Welschof is a technically sound player against the run. He stays square to the line of scrimmage, squeezes down and fills his gap.
Here against Florida in Week 4 last season, Welschof does a good job of squeezing down and taking on the trap. By squeezing down, Welschof cuts off the designed lane, forcing the run to bounce outside. He did his job very well on the play.
Loved this rep against Georgia State.
On a designed QB draw, Welschof reads it and knifes inside. He blows up the right tackle in the hole and then is in perfect position to make the run stop.
He is very comfortable defending the run in space. That stands out quickly on tape.
Good rep here from Welschof against the read-option.
Stay square to the line of scrimmage, squeeze down just enough to stay in between, and then make the play for the run stop.
That’s how it coached. He doesn’t overcommit one way or another and plays this very well.
Same thing here. He moves well in space, too, which is positive.
Welschof knows his role and understands his assignment. He sticks to it, too. You don’t see him freelancing ever, and he’s not going to try and do more than what his assignment states. He’s going to be that key part of the puzzle defensively on every given play, being in the right spot at the right time to help defend as a unit of 11.
Conclusion
As a run defender, there is certainly something to build from with Welschof. He is technically sound against the run, sets the edge well and really just knows what offenses are trying to do to him on the edge. There is good run tape throughout his time at Charlotte.
But he is a major work in progress as a pass rusher. There is just very little there despite his size. He has flashed the ability to convert speed to power, but the lack of hand fighting skills and overall bend are a concern. He is certainly worth taking a flyer on and stashing on the practice squad as an IPP but expecting anything more in 2024 or beyond is a stretch.
Games Watched: South Carolina State (2023), Maryland (2023), Georgia State (2023), Florida (2023)
