UDFA positions with the best shot at making the Steelers roster

While most of the roster is built through the draft, the Steelers should be on the lookout for talented prospects who fall out of the draft

Every year, seven rounds of the NFL draft come and go as teams look to build a winning roster by adding young talent from the draft. Afterward is when the real fun begins, as all of the players that didn’t hear their name called in the draft can still find homes on NFL rosters. Looking at the state of the Steelers roster, some obvious holes can be addressed after the draft concludes.

Every team has to build through the draft, but consistently successful teams find talent after the draft as well. Recently, the Steelers have seen some returns on their UDFAs, as players like Tuzar Skipper, Devlin Hodges, Fred Johnson, Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, and Matthew Thomas have all made the roster outright after going undrafted. While there have been varying degrees of success here, any contribution from a UDFA is a win.

Looking at the roster this year, some obvious positions make sense as UDFA options. More specifically, RB, WR, and CB are logical choices to find a UDFA stick on the roster. This is for a wide variety of reasons, from the strength of the draft class to the weakness of the roster depth for the Steelers.

Looking at WR, the Steelers are almost guaranteed to draft a WR at some point in the draft. The issue is, this WR draft is incredibly deep and the Steelers have question marks behind their starters. With two types of WRs likely being considered (Height-Weight-Speed freak and slot/get open over the middle types). With the Steelers likely drafting one of those types, the other should be in play after the draft.

Keep prospects like James Proche and Quez Watkins in mind if they fall out of the draft. Proche is a great option over the middle with solid hands who would likely kick Ryan Switzer off the roster. His stock is low due to an injury preventing him from testing, but he would look good in a Steelers uniform. Watkins is an athletic option on the outside who would fight with Deon Cain for a roster spot. He has a lot of solid tape and looks like a good developmental prospect.

Finally, CB makes logical sense to be addressed after the draft. While the starters and most of the depth is set, the Steelers did loose Artie Burns, meaning there is a potential opening as the number six option on the team. While there are rumors the team could draft a player to fill this void, assuming they don’t leave that hole unaddressed.

Look at names like Kevin McGill or Stanford Samuels III as an option after the draft. Both prospects have great size and have the athleticism to play on special teams’ as they develop themselves at the CB position. Frankly, if all either of them do is become consistent special teamers and depth options, it will prove valuable to the Steelers.

While UDFAs are always a shot in the dark, finding value through this route is vital in building a successful organization. With the recent UDFAs finding their way onto the roster, it shouldn’t be a surprise if the Steelers unearth another gem in the 2020 UDFA pool.