We’ve spent plenty of time this month focusing on the 2025 NFL Draft. But free agency comes first and is just three weeks away. With that in mind, here are three pending free agents who could interest the Steelers and have connections to the team’s two newest hires, defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander and inside linebackers coach Scott McCurley.
Gerald Alexander Connections – Steelers Free Agents
Ashtyn Davis/S New York Jets
I wrote about Davis in my Big Book of Gerald Alexander article last week. Alexander coached Davis at Cal for most of his career, sophomore through senior seasons. There, Davis consistently took the football away with seven interceptions along with two forced fumbles, part of that turnover-focused Golden Bears defense that helped turn the program around.
Athletic and versatile, Davis became a third-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2020 NFL Draft. At the same time, Alexander made his jump to the NFL, landing the DBs coach job with the Miami Dolphins in 2020, putting him in the same division as Davis.
In 2021, Davis picked off two passes both of which came against Alexander’s Dolphins.
Davis’ NFL career hasn’t been what he hoped it’d be — he is more of a rotational backup than a full-time starter — but he’s still just 28 years old with a level of productivity. In 2024, he only started one game but recorded 35 tackles, two pass breakups, and one pick across 261 defensive snaps.
Davis has been a consistent and multi-phase special teamer with at least 275 snaps in each of the last three years. In 2024 per Pro Football Focus, he logged 58 snaps on kick coverage, 70 on kick return, 52 on punt coverage, and 35 on punt return along with playing on the field goal-block team. Defensively, he moved around with more than 100 free safety snaps, 92 in the box, and 54 in the slot.
He should be inexpensive and would serve as good depth behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott. Davis could also be a sixth defensive back/dime player the Steelers will need assuming CB Cam Sutton and S Damontae Kazee, two pending free agents, don’t return.
Jaylinn Hawkins/S New England Patriots
Like Davis, Hawkins was also coached by Alexander at Cal for his final three seasons. Hawkins turned into a ballhawk with a conference-leading six interceptions in 2018 followed by five turnovers (three picks, two forced fumbles) the following year. In clips I found while researching Alexander, Hawkins praised him as an energetic and quality coach.
A fourth-round pick in 2020, Hawkins went to the NFC and Atlanta Falcons but picked off a pass against Alexander’s Dolphins in a 2021 contest.
Hawkins briefly spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers before signing with the New England Patriots in 2024. He appeared in all 17 games but only started seven, recording 48 total tackles across a healthy 612 defensive snaps. He was also a core special teamer with more than 300 snaps. Per PFF, Hawkins primarily played FS in 2024 but moved around the defense with 188 box snaps and 57 down in the slot.
He’s a year younger than Davis and shouldn’t cost much on the open market. The deal he signed with New England carried just a $1.125 million base salary. With a more productive 2024 than 2023, perhaps his value has risen but he’s still likely a $3-4 million player. Incredibly affordable for where Pittsburgh sits cap-wise.
Bonus Option – S Craig Woodson (NFL Draft)
Not a free agent but draft pick. A profile on Woodson will go up on the site in just a little bit – it’s likely posted by the time you’re reading this – and he’s a well-rounded and physical safety coached by Alexander his freshman season. In fact, Alexander was the man who recruited Woodson to make the trek from Texas to Cal, though Woodson was a light recruit with few big offers. Alexander was one reason why Woodson chose the Golden Bears.
Alexander would only stay with the program for Woodson’s first year, but Woodson went on to have a solid career.
He profiles as a Day 3 prospect who can be a dime player/sixth DB and quality special teamer. Of course, Alexander isn’t the man making decisions in the Steelers’ war room, but his background and knowledge of Woodson is an edge when it comes to who Pittsburgh picks.
Scott McCurley Connections – Steelers Free Agents
Markquese Bell/S Dallas Cowboys
For a linebackers coach, it might seem strange to see a safety like Bell on this list. But when injuries ravaged the Cowboys’ inside linebacker room in 2023, Dallas got creative and shifted Bell down to inside linebacker.
He started eight games and played 649 defensive snaps, finishing the year with 94 tackles. He wasn’t especially impactful but stepped up to handle a sudden shift for a young guy only in his second season. McCurley consistently sang his praises.
“He loves the game of football, and he loves to compete and that’s where it starts. I’d throw him in any situation and let him go play just based on the type of guy he is and the way he approaches the game,” McCurley said in a 2023 midseason interview via the Cowboys’ website.
Healthier and with more reinforcements for 2024, Bell went back to safety and took on a reserved role. Worse, he played in only nine games after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. While he wasn’t seeing time defensively, he was active and praised on special teams.
“I mean, he’s put as good a special teams ball through 10 games as I can remember,” then special teams coordinator John Fassel said via ESPN, who noted he was emotional talking about Bell’s injury. “He got hurt doing what he does best, just flying in there. He’s going to be OK but, man, just, gosh, spending time with these guys in meetings and the practice field and the game field, the emotions of undrafted to wanting a little bit more and accepting his role and thriving in his role, damn. I’m hurting for him because he was on a mission.”
Bell’s played over 300 special teams snaps the last two years, giving him value even if he’s seen scant time on defense. It’s important to note he’s a restricted free agent giving the Cowboys solid team control over him. He was undrafted so giving him the lowest tender means they wouldn’t receive compensation if a team signed him away with an offer sheet.
I don’t think Pittsburgh would do that. But will the Cowboys tender him? With a new head coach and all of Bell’s coaches no longer with Dallas (safeties coach Cannon Matthews, DBs coach Al Harris, DC Mike Zimmer, and STs coordinator John Fassel are all gone), the Cowboys may opt not to, making Bell an unrestricted free agent. The Chicago Bears could be in the mix, that’s where Matthews and Harris ended up, but I could see the Steelers being players, too.
