Steelers roster: 3 players Pittsburgh must make room for on the final 53
By Tommy Jaggi
CB Mark Gilbert
Mark Gilbert was a player I was interested in from the moment the Steelers signed him as an undrafted free agent this offseason. It’s not often you see a cornerback who stands over 6’0” with great athletic traits fall out of the draft entirely. It’s even rarer when you see one with a terrific season in college go undrafted.
As a sophomore at Duke, Gilbert earned 6 interceptions in 13 games. Sadly, his inability to stay on the football field no doubt played a factor in Gilbert slipping out of the 2021 NFL Draft, as the cornerback has played in just 4 games over the past 3 years.
His misfortune could be the Steelers gain. Now that Gilbert is finally healthy, he’s picking up where he left off prior to his injuries during his college days. The undrafted rookie had a strong training camp and flashed the ability to disrupt passing lanes and get his hands on the football. During the preseason, Gilbert had his moments as well.
It’s not easy to find cornerbacks with his combination of size and speed. While they could probably get Gilbert back on the practice squad, I think he’s done enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster and perhaps even compete for a job as an outside cornerback in 2022.