4 Steelers rookies that were steals in the 2022 NFL Draft
By Andrew Falce
Steelers EDGE Johnson
Not all of the Steelers draft-day steals were actually selected in the draft. One of the better undrafted free agents that this team brought in was fellow Texas A&M defender Tyree Johnson. While the team’s track record with undrafted free agents, especially in recent years, hasn’t been great, Johnson is entering a good situation to potentially make an impact sooner than later.
Like Leal, Johnson’s calling card as a player is his ability to get after the quarterback. He uses a variety of moves to win at the line of scrimmage and apply pressure in passing games. His run defense could use work, as he lacks the strength and power to hold his own along the edge. This will limit him early in his career but getting into an NFL strength room will help with that issue.
Given the promise Johnson has as a player and the general weakness this team has at edge rusher, Johnson has a shot at cracking this roster early. If he can prove himself as a capable special teams player, he could even make the roster outright out of camp. Long-term, if he develops as he should, Johnson could become a key situational pass rusher for this defense. The Steelers got this type of a player after the draft, so they have to be praised for this addition.