3 players on Steelers 53-man roster aren’t in the clear quite yet

DL Henry Mondeaux

I was very pleased with Pittsburgh’s decision to keep Henry Mondeaux on the initial 53-man roster. While he wasn’t productive in the box score this season, Mondeaux churned out some very impressive grades, via Pro Football Focus, thanks to his ability to knife in the backfield and pursue the quarterback.

Much of the intrigue with Mondeaux lies with his impressive athletic ability. Despite being listed at 6’4” and 297 entering the 2018 NFL Draft, Mondeaux blazed a trail with a 4.96 40-yard dash – reaching a top speed of 20.2 miles per hour, according to his Relative Athletic Score. This freakish speed and explosion are what allows him to play special teams on the kick coverage unit.

Unfortunately, Mondeaux’s job is not secure at this point. We recently learned that starting defensive lineman, Stephon Tuitt, is headed to IR for the short term with a knee injury – which is probably why the Steelers elected to keep eight defensive linemen. Unfortunately, when he returns, Mondeaux could be gone as Pittsburgh already has Chris Wormley and Isaiahh Loudermilk backing up his position.

I hope Henry Mondeaux is able to stick around as a core special teams player who can give the Steelers a pass rush spark, but I wouldn’t wager a bet on this.