The Pittsburgh Steelers released their initial 53-man roster following the NFL's cutdown deadline. Around the league, hundreds of hopeful players were thrown back on the pile and there were some notable names in the mix.
Though the Steelers didn't make any earth-shattering roster decisions, they had several players who could be deemed as surprise cuts. This paved the way for others to make the roster -- players that not everyone expected would make the team. Here are the three biggest surprise players who landed on the Steelers' initial 53-man roster.
Jalen Elliott, S
I don't think anyone included Jalen Elliott in their Steelers roster predictions, but here we are. Elliott saw his only NFL action as a member of the Detroit Lions in 2021. The unproven safety out of Notre Dame ran a 4.8 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and it's hard to find a spot in the secondary with a lack of speed.
However, a scary-looking injury to Ryan Watts with under two minutes remaining in the preseason finale likely paved the way for Elliott to earn a roster spot.
Elliott can't get too comfortable though. With four safeties ahead of him on the roster, the journeyman could be a roster casualty if the Steelers decided to add depth at another position. Elliott needs to prove his worth very early in the season if given a helmet.
Logan Lee, DL
It's typically not surprising when a draft pick makes the team. As Pittsburgh's 178th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, most would expect him to stick around. But when you consider the depth the Steelers already had on the interior defensive line, it was hard to find a route for Logan Lee to make the roster.
All summer, Lee was running with the third-string defensive line in training camp and the preseason. Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and Larry Ogunjobi were locks to make the team, while Dean Lowry, Montravius Adams, and DeMarvin Leal were the next men up.
This left Lee fighting for Isaiahh Loudermilk for the seventh interior defensive line spot -- a spot the team wasn't guaranteed to have. For now, Lee is on the Steelers' 2024 roster, but the depth at the position suggests his spot isn't safe if Pittsburgh needs to make another roster move.
Isaiahh Loudermilk, DL
Of the three names on this list, Loudermilk was always the safest of the group. Somehow, the Wisconsin product found himself on the roster bubble in each of his first four seasons with the team. The Steelers experimented with Loudermilk -- beefing him up to play as a 3-4 base end.
Unfortunately, Loudermilk hasn't shown much progress over the years and the flashes are few and far between. This is a defining year for his career. If he finds himself as part of the defensive line rotation, he needs to prove effective to stick it out on the roster all season and earn a second contract -- whether that's in Pittsburgh or somewhere else.