The undrafted free agent class for the Pittsburgh Steelers might be smaller compared to past seasons, but that doesn’t mean it won’t produce a player who cracks the 53-man roster at the end of training camp.
West Virginia cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. is the odds-on favorite to be that guy coming out of the UDFA class, considering the Steelers’ need at the slot cornerback position, but for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko, don’t overlook UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee.
During an appearance on the “North Shore Drive” podcast from the Post-Gazette with host Christopher Carter, Batko stated that he believes Plumlee has a “puncher’s chance” to beat out veteran QB3 Kyle Allen and make the roster.
“Part of the reason he is coming here is ’cause the Steelers gave him an opportunity to play quarterback…It’s more about the athleticism, the mobility that he brings to the table. And I think he’s got a puncher’s chance to make this roster, Chris, because that’s the, the type of QBs they have ahead of him on this depth chart,” Batko said. “So when you’re kind of looking at, ‘Hey, do you want your backup to be similar to your starter? And then do you want your three to be similar to your two?’
“Plumlee, he’s sub-six foot, he is a lot like Russell Wilson in that way, but I think he ran like a 4.5 at the Big 12 Pro Day…dynamic enough that Ole Miss actually switched his position to try to get the most out of him.”
After heading to Ole Miss as a quarterback and a baseball player, Plumlee was moved to wide receiver by the Rebels’ coaching staff in an effort to get the most out of his athleticism. Ultimately, that forced Plumlee to transfer to UCF where he was able to play quarterback again.
The stats weren’t all that impressive overall from Plumlee as a dual-threat quarterback. He threw for 4,857 yards and 29 touchdowns to 16 interceptions across two seasons in Orlando and added another 1,367 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns for the Golden Knights.
But he came in a bit undersized. Plumlee measured in at 5116, 203 pounds, running 4.54, jumping 36.5 inches in the vert, and 10’4″ in the broad. Good testing numbers overall, but the size is a concern.
That led to some teams looking at him as a slot receiver in the NFL, but the Steelers are giving him a shot at quarterback, giving him a franchise-record UDFA signing bonus from the franchise, showing that belief in him as a QB.
Now, he might have a chance to beat out a guy like Kyle Allen, who was signed as the QB3 following an offseason in which the Steelers completely transformed the quarterback room. With Allen as his competition for a roster spot, Plumlee has a chance to make the 53-man roster, Batko believes.
“He is a versatile athlete…he’s gonna be an interesting player to watch, especially in camp, in preseason, in those live moments where he can try to take off, try to show off his legs and see what he can do,” Batko said.
The Steelers love their mobility at the quarterback position, and Plumlee has that in abundance. He’s also built similarly to Wilson and Fields, though those two are a bit bigger and thicker. Play styles have some similarities, too.
From Batko’s standpoint, it makes sense that Plumlee might have a chance. Ultimately, I can’t see it happening. Allen is a solid, dependable QB3 who has been there, done that, and only strengthens the room top to bottom.
The Steelers targeted him for a reason. But things can change when the pads come on. That’s where Plumlee will really need to make waves if he wants that “puncher’s chance” to crack the roster.
