While all can be considered longshots, each of the Steelers’ undrafted rookies has a path to the 2021 roster, no matter how slim.
There is little better than when a team uncovers a diamond in the rough through the undrafted pool of players, they bring in. The Steelers have found quite a few stars as undrafted free agents and have had countless contributors come from signings after the draft. While it is far too early to tell what the 2021 undrafted pool will do, their odds of cracking the roster are easier to predict. Here are the odds each of the Steelers’ undrafted rookies make the active roster in 2021.
Steelers Rico Bussey
Roster odds: 5%
One of the least talked about players of this group, Rico Bussey has the unenviable task of trying to make the roster despite five of the roster spots being filled. Assuming the Steelers even keep six receivers (something they didn’t do last season), Bussey still finds himself on the outside looking in. Even if the practice squad is the more realistic route for him, the competition there will likely be fierce.
The real issue with Bussey is that he will need to do something other than be a receiving threat to have a chance at making the team. He doesn’t have the typical size that you would want in a coverage special teams’ option, and he only returned two career kicks while in college. Unless he makes himself uncuttable, the odds he cracks the 53-man roster are slim. While still not great, the practice squad could be a more viable route. Again, it will take an extremely impressive camp for Bussey to remain with the Steelers in any capacity in 2021.
Steelers Calvin Bundage
Roster odds: 5%
To be honest, I really like the type of inside linebacker that the Steelers brought in with Calvin Bundage. While undersized and unathletic, Bundage can play the run well and served as a hybrid edge rusher/off-ball linebacker while in school. Considering the team’s use of blitzing with their inside linebackers, Bundage could be a camp sleeper considering how well he fits there.
The only issue for him, and the reason he is so low on this list, is because the inside linebacker room is stacked. The team will keep, at most, five players here. The top three are already set in Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and Buddy Johnson. Vince Williams is a relatively safe bet to make the team, even though his roster spot is far from locked in. Marcus Allen and Ulysees Gilbert both are more experienced and are far better athletes than Bundage on the back half of the roster.
That isn’t to say that Bundage can’t earn a job, but just that those odds are really low. Add in his checkered injury history and the odds of him making the initial 53-man roster don’t seem great. That said, his practice squad odds seem better than a guy like Bussey due solely to his overall fit in the team’s scheme as well as the smaller amount of competition for the practice squad inside linebacker spot.
Steelers Lamont Wade
Roster odds: 10%
Lamont Wade has one thing going for him at this point: he compares favorably to former Steelers’ slot cornerback Mike Hilton. Both are physical run defenders who are only ok in coverage (Wade being the worse of the two right now). He is extremely undersized as a defender, and his athletic measurables are pretty putrid. A lot of those issues could be disguised in the slot, but Wade has a lot to prove before being handed that role.
For starters, there are quite a few slot options ahead of Wade right now, chief among them Arthur Maulet and Cameron Sutton, assuming Sutton reverts to the slot in three cornerback sets. Even some of the other undrafted free agents likely rank higher than Wade does at this point. By all accounts, he will have to dominate in camp in order to make the roster.
Honestly, the comparison to Hilton may end up being a hindrance more than a help. Hilton was dynamic in the Steelers’ secondary, but that was because he was so good in run defense that the team could use him in a unique role that only he could fill. While Wade has some similarities, it seems unlikely he is as good as Hilton was. It will be hard to justify him staying on the roster if that is the case, as Hilton was such a uniquely good player for the team. Wade could take a year on the practice squad to become more well-rounded, but his odds of making the roster outright don’t seem great.
Steelers Isaiah McKoy
Roster Odds: 20%
This is a player I really wanted to put higher on this list and give a higher chance of making the initial roster. While his testing numbers were below average, Isaiah McKoy enters camp as one of the likeliest camp darlings. He was an incredible deep threat while at Kent State, and one could even argue that his stats would have been better had Kent relied on a deeper passing game.
His ability to win deep and burn corners should make him stand out during practices and preseason, as he could have some Justin Hunter-type hype while playing in shorts. Given his size, he could also make the transition to special teams’ gunner more effectively than Bussey would. This is ultimately why he’s this high up on the list: if he can prove himself on special teams and shows some promise during the preseason, he could make a case to be kept as a sixth receiver.
That said, the odds of that happening still aren’t great. The team could easily only keep five receivers once again given the immense depth they have there, and if a sixth is kept it may be for a more unique style of receiver such as the speedy Matthew Sexton. That said, if McKoy can make some positive noise in camp and the team decides on keeping six receivers, he could land on the active roster. At worst, he should be a favorite to find his way onto the practice squad.
Steelers Mark Gilbert
Roster Odds: 25%
Another name that is easy to root for given his incredible story, Mark Gilbert still finds himself in the middle of the pack in terms of odds to make the roster. The simple reason why is that he is best situated at being an outside cornerback, and the depth chart there is actually pretty stiff. With the three cornerback locks all being outside corners (albeit Sutton can and likely will kick to the slot sometimes), this means Gilbert will be competing for one final outside corner spot likely.
As well, with secondaries getting so mixed, the team could opt for more of a safety/corner hybrid like Maulet. This could further muddy Gilbert’s chances of sticking. That said, given the incredible sophomore season that he had in college before injuries marred his career, the hope is that he still has some of that talent that he showed years ago. If he can harness that once again, he can easily beat out Justin Layne or Stephen Denmark for the final outside corner depth spot.
It will all depend on how much he has healed from his injuries. His athletic testing seems to indicate that he is in fact better, but on-field play and practice will be the better determinate. If he still has the ability that he did in 2017, don’t be surprised to see him make the roster outright. At this point, there are too many questions regarding his injury history to put his odds any higher, but if he keeps a clean bill of health that number should skyrocket.
Steelers Jamar Watson
Roster Odds: 30%
If you put every free agent in a vacuum in terms of talent and potential, Jamar Watson would be more towards the end of the list. He is a fine technical player, but his overall production in college was only ok and his athletic testing was pretty bad. The best case for him long-term is to become a decent fourth option that can play a little defense but excels on special teams. In a normal year, he would be an at best practice squad player in order to let him develop a little.
2021 is no normal year at edge rusher though, as the Steelers are extremely thin at edge rusher. As of now, sixth-round rookie Quincy Roche and Cassius Marsh are the only realistic depth options. While Roche is an intriguing rookie based on his college production, he was still only a sixth-round pick and the expectations can’t be through the roof for him yet. As for Marsh, he is an ok special teams player, but he is far from a lock to make this roster.
It would take quite an impressive camp from Watson, but if he shows enough in practice and during the preseason, he could end up making the team as the fourth edge rusher. As well, if the team wants to keep Marsh for whatever reason, a strong camp could compel the team to keep five edge rushers. Again, I don’t think Watson has the upside that some of these undrafted players have, but due to the lack of options at edge rusher this season, his odds of making the active roster aren’t bad.
Steelers Donovan Stiner
Roster Odds: 35%
One of the undrafted guys I really liked due to his versatility, Donovan Stiner hasn’t made much noise yet for the Steelers. That said, his good athletic profile and defensive flexibility make him an intriguing roster fit for both this season and long term as a traditional safety. He can play either safety spot in a pinch and was tasked with covering the slot over his final two years at Florida. That means he can toss his name into the slot depth chart this season.
Long-term though, Stiner has the instincts to play strong safety. While he can play free safety, if need be, the closer he plays to the line the better he tends to be. Considering Terrell Edmunds is a free agent after this season and likely leaves, Stiner could be a potential fit at strong safety as early as next year. He should be a decent special teams player as well, meaning that his instant fit with the team is valuable and his long-term ability could fill a position of need.
That all said, the defensive back depth chart is really messy right now. At best, 11 total backs will make this roster, and about 5-6 of those spots are already locked in. Versatility is Stiner’s friend here though, as he can wear multiple hats early on which in turn provides more value to the team. He has the second-best odds to make the roster because of this, and even if he fails to make the initial 53-man roster, the practice squad seems like a safe bet for Stiner.
Steelers Shakur Brown
Roster Odds: 55%
Some may look at the roster odds for Shakur Brown and argue that that is too low. While I really like the talent and potential he provides, he is still only an undrafted free agent and that makes his path to the roster naturally tough. A lot of people were singing the early praises of Trajan Bandy last season, and he failed to make the team outright after camp and has since struggled to latch on in the league.
This doesn’t mean Brown is doomed to be a repeat of Bandy, but expectations need to be tamed for him. Of the entire class, he easily has the best chance to make the roster given his impressive play as a junior and the clear need for a slot corner on this roster. That said, even saying Brown has slightly better than a 50 percent chance to make the roster is bold. There are no guarantees as an undrafted player in this league, and Brown may not end up working out.
That said, with him being a natural slot player and the five interceptions he had last year at Michigan St., he is an early camp sleeper to keep an eye on. He will likely not be the starting slot corner right out of the gate, but if he can show enough in camp as a defender and a special teams player, he has a good chance of sticking around. As well, if he doesn’t make the roster for whatever reason, the practice squad would seem like a natural spot for him in 2021.
There are few better feelings as an NFL fan than when your team uncovers a diamond in the rough after the draft concludes. The Steelers have a storied history of doing so, and 2021 should be no different given the talent that was brought in during the undrafted period. That said, keep your expectations in check, as the path for an undrafted player in the league is a hard one with very few guarantees.