Player: OLB Julius Welschof (aka the big son of a gun)
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: An International Pathway Program player, Julius Welschof received some attention during spring practices. His most obvious trait is his size, quite considerable for a 3-4 outside linebacker. That led to his position coach observing that he is a “big son of a gun”.
Julius Welschof is a longshot to make the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster, let’s just get that out of the way. But it’s quite plausible that he can earn himself a contract this year. The Germany native is part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program, which provides certain exceptions. You can carry such players as a 17th practice squad player whose salary does not count against the cap. Basically, all you have to do is show some type of promise and your team is likely to keep you.
Welschof has a clear advantage in simply being massive—or as outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin said, a “big son of a gun”. At 6-6, 265 pounds, he is larger than the average outside linebacker, and he looks the part.
Despite growing up in Germany, Welschof played at Michigan from 2018-2022. Accordingly, he was college teammates with the Steelers’ rookie third-round pick, Roman Wilson. He spent one more college season at Alex Highsmith and Larry Ogunjobi’s alma mater, Charlotte.
Welschof transferred to Charlotte with the hope of receiving more playing time. He earned a starting job but suffered a season-ending injury early in the year. But the Steelers saw enough to bring him in for a closer look.
Pittsburgh has an opening at the outside linebacker position, admittedly. They did not re-sign Markus Golden, counting on Nick Herbig to step up as depth. Outside of Julius Welschof, they have Jeremiah Moon, David Perales, and Jacoby Windmon.
While Welschof is not likely to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, it’s not impossible. The fourth outside linebacker will primarily be responsible on special teams. At his size, he may have an advantage with the league’s new kickoff rules. But the fact that he can be easily retained through the International Pathway Program also works against him. The Steelers could, for example, keep Moon as the fourth edge, Perales on the practice squad, and Welschof in the program.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
