The 2024 undrafted free agent class might be smaller than normal for the Pittsburgh Steelers with just five players added to the roster currently that went undrafted, but that doesn’t mean the Steelers didn’t add talent.
West Virginia cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr., Charlotte EDGE Julius Welschof, Michigan State EDGE Jacoby Windmon, Central Florida quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, and Georgia running back Daijun Edwards round out the Steelers’ five-player UDFA class.
With some roster holes still needing to be filled, some of the UDFAs could realistically earn a spot on the Steelers’ roster come the end of training camp—assuming they make it to Saint Vincent College.
So, what UDFA has the best chance of making the Steelers’ 53-man roster this off-season, hoping to become the next Jaylen Warren, Mike Hilton, or James Pierre? I’m glad you asked.
Below, I rank the five UDFAs from 1 to 5 based on their best chances of grabbing a 53-man roster spot.
1. Beanie Bishop Jr., DB, West Virginia
As if there would be anyone else listed at No. 1 here with the best chance to grab a 53-man roster spot than West Virginia’s Beanie Bishop Jr.
The Steelers have a major hole at the slot cornerback position and didn’t exactly address it this offseason after letting Chandon Sullivan hit free agency and releasing Patrick Peterson. Bishop could be the answer at the slot cornerback position, following a similar path that the likes of former Steelers Mike Hilton and Arthur Maulet.
Last season at West Virginia, Bishop recorded 20 pass breakups. He was constantly around the football and really emerged as a leader in the Mountaineers’ secondary. Coming out of WVU, Bishop measures in at 5091 and 182 pounds, which was measured at the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas.
Along with his measurements, Bishop clocked a 4.39 40-yard dash, had a 10’0″ broad jump, and a 33.5-inch vertical jump. Despite the strong testing numbers, he scored a low 6.30 Relative Athletic Score.
But with his ball skills and his overall play style, which fits that “angry little person” style that Mike Tomlin likes at the slot cornerback position, Bishop has a clear path to a 53-man roster spot right now.
2. Jacoby Windmon, EDGE, Michigan State
The Steelers are set at the top three outside linebackers on the roster in T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, that much is clear. Watt is coming off of a season in which he should have won his second Defensive Player of the Year award, Highsmith took another step forward as a fringe top-10 EDGE in football, and Herbig surprised many with his abilities off the edge despite his smaller frame.
But the Steelers have a need at OLB4 on the roster after letting Markus Golden hit free agency. The Steelers did claim Jeremiah Moon off of waivers in January from the Ravens, so he could be a realistic option at OLB4. But that seems risky right now. Kyron Johnson is an option as well.
But Windmon has a real shot based on his tape and overall play style.
Coming out of Michigan State, Windmon measured in at just 6006, 235 pounds, which is certainly undersized for what the Steelers like at the position, but he has good arm length and showed a good feel on tape as a pass rusher at Michigan State and, before being a Spartan, at UNLV.
He missed most of the 2023 season with a pectoral injury, which led to him going undrafted, but his tape at UNLV and his 2022 season at Michigan State shows that there is something to work with when it comes to Windmon. He plays hard, knows how to attack pass blockers, and has good tools in the shed.
If he can show some special teams chops and make some plays in the preseason, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Windmon pushing for that OLB4 role.
3. Daijun Edwards, RB, Georgia
With new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are going to do one thing for sure: run the heck out of the football. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will once again be a dynamic duo for the Steelers, especially behind a rebuilt offensive line.
They’ll handle the workload and try to grind teams into submission. Veteran Cordarrelle Patterson was brought on mostly for the new kickoff rules, but he is a capable RB3 in Smith’s scheme who knows the system and the coach well, having spent time with him in Atlanta.
After that, though, there is no clear-cut RB4, one that can handle a special teams role from a coverage standpoint. That could be Edwards, who had a strong season for Georgia in 2023, rushing for 881 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s a smaller running back, but he runs with good toughness and is hard to bring down one-on-one.
Edwards has special teams abilities, too, having handled special teams duties at Georgia, including two kick return TDs in 2022 for the Bulldogs. Though the roster might not shape up to carry a fourth running back, I think Edwards could force his way into that RB4 role for the Steelers.
4. John Rhys Plumlee, QB, Central Florida
The Steelers paid the largest signing bonus ever for a UDFA to Plumlee, ensuring they landed him as a quarterback to be the fourth QB on the roster this offseason.
Despite that record signing bonus, Plumlee is a bit behind the 8-ball and looks more like a candidate for the practice squad and a value scout team player throughout the season to replicate some of the mobile quarterbacks the Steelers will face in 2024. But, there is a scenario where he could open some eyes in training camp with his ability to throw off platform, change arm angles, and use his legs to make plays, matching what the likes of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields bring to the table ahead of him on the depth chart.
Plumlee has the experience under center and put up okay production at Central Florida as a dual-threat option. He doesn’t have great size at under 6 feet, but he plays with toughness and shows a will to find ways to win at UCF. That could help him take charge of the third- and fourth-team reps in training camp and show something.
But with Wilson and Fields entrenched and the Steelers very clearly liking Kyle Allen as the QB3, Plumlee has a tough hill to climb in front of him.
5. Julius Welschof, EDGE, Charlotte
Welschof certainly looks the part of an NFL EDGE at 6065, 256. But that’s about it. He plays the run well but there is almost nothing there from a pass rush standpoint right now. He’s 27 years old, too. He should be around all season long as the Steelers can carry him on the practice squad without taking up a 16-man roster spot due to the International Player Pathway program.
Welschof is a native of Germany who discovered football at age 15. He then came to the United States to attend the University of Michigan, where he spent five seasons before transferring to Charlotte for the 2023 season. Last season was cut short due to injury, but he’s getting a shot in the NFL now.
The size and athletic profile are very intriguing. He moves well in space, but he really has to develop as a pass rusher, learning how to set blockers up, use his hands, and develop his overall moves.
Something miraculous would have to happen for him to get a 53-man roster spot in training camp — and hey, I’m all for that happening — but he does seem ticketed for the practice squad all season in 2024 unless he decides to take his opportunity in the CFL.
