The Pittsburgh Steelers worked out OG Nourdein Nouili, EDGE Kenneth Odumegwu, EDGE Adetokunbo Ogundeji and S Ayo Oyelola on Thursday, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Nouili played college football at Nebraska, starting 11 games last season. 10 of his starts were at right guard with one start at left guard, and he hails from Frankfurt, Germany. The Colorado State transfer measured in at 6027 and 310 pounds with 32 3/4″ arms at Nebraska’s Pro Day in March. He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in May, but was waived in July.
Odumegwu joined the Green Bay Packers last season as part of the NFL’s international player pathway program. He won the Most Valuable Player at the NFL Africa Touchdown Camp in Ghana in June 2022 as a defensive end, per ESPN. He spent 2023 on Green Bay’s practice squad and was released on August 21. He registered one tackle in 11 preseason snaps with Green Bay this year.
Ogundeji played college football at Notre Dame and was a fifth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has 75 total tackles and three sacks in his career, playing 32 games with 27 starts for the Falcons between 2021 and 2022. He injured foot in training camp last year and was later waived.
He’s the most experienced player that Pittsburgh worked out, and he could provide some solid depth as a veteran presence at EDGE on the practice squad. He measured in at 6044 and 240 pounds and ran a 4.80 40-yard dash at Notre Dame’s Pro Day in 2021. He also has 35 1/4″ arms.
Oyelola hails from the UK and spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. He spent 2022 and 2023 on Jacksonville’s practice squad, but was waived in April by the Jaguars after signing a reserve/futures contract. He’s totaled four career preseason tackles, while allowing three receptions on four targets in the 2023 preseason.
With the Steelers releasing Julius Welschof off IR with an injury settlement, it appears the team is looking for another international player pathway program player they can get an international roster exemption on. Odumegwu, Oyelola and Nouili would likely be eligible for the roster exception, although it’s unclear if Ogundeji would as the Falcons listed DE Kenny Oginni as their international player last year. Ogundeji is also from Michigan, and while he’s of Nigerian descent, he may not qualify for the roster exemption
