As we’ve done in previous years, we’re taking a look at those Pittsburgh Steelers under Futures contracts for the 2024 offseason — the ones who spent most of, if not the entire year, on the practice squad — and what we can expect from them during training camp and (hopefully) into the regular season. Today, an outlook on OT Anderson Hardy.
Anderson Hardy/OT Appalachian State – 6055, 301 pounds
Winding down our Future/Reserve report series, we don’t want to forget about the big guys up front. Hardy is set to be one of them this spring, beginning with OTAs Tuesday and running through training camp. At App State, Hardy was a multi-year starter, in the lineup for the final 28 games of his career and primarily working at left tackle.
While he boasted the height and weight to play tackle in the NFL, his 32-inch arms projected him as an NFL guard rather than being able to stay at tackle. During his Pro Day, he tested as an impressive athlete, running a sub-5 second 40-yard dash, jumping 31.5 inches in the vertical, and still showing his strength with 30 reps on the bench press. Though far from the end-all, his RAS was an impressive 9.26. Only his frame dinged him.
Anderson Hardy is a OT prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.26 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 97 out of 1293 OT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/bF1L4ox1Mu pic.twitter.com/vmRH7MuYu9
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 19, 2023
Undrafted, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2023 NFL Draft. During the preseason, he logged 42 snaps along the line. The Chiefs kicked him inside to guard and attempted to make him versatile, giving him 29 at right guard and 13 on the left side. The team released him at final cutdowns and did not bring him back to their practice squad.
Pittsburgh came into the picture shortly after, working Hardy out in September, one of four linemen they tried out that day. None of the four were signed, the team probably updating their emergency list should injuries strike throughout the year, but the team was again fortunate to have a mostly healthy front five during the season. The Steelers officially signed Hardy after the season, inking him and Devery Henderson to deals as external offensive linemen.
We’ll see if the Steelers keep Hardy at guard or move him back out to tackle. For what it’s worth, he’s listed as a tackle on the team website, and the team seems deeper along the interior than they do at offensive tackle. Ideally, the more spots a guy like Hardy can play, the more value he can create to try and stick on the practice squad with Pittsburgh, something he couldn’t do with Kansas City.
