Ranking the Steelers 2024 undrafted rookie free agents

The Steelers are a franchise filled with notable undrafted free agents who went on to become greats. Unfortunately, this team hasn’t kept up with the times. As other teams began guaranteeing money to secure the top names available after the draft, Pittsburgh stood pat with their minimal signing bonuses, diminishing their undrafted classes. Now, Omar Khan has signed two of the smallest classes in recent memories in back-to-back seasons.

That said, there is at least one intriguing name in this mix, and each of these five players will get a shot. Jaylen Warren wasn’t a notable name when he was brought in (at least, he wasn’t on my radar) and he has gone on to become a core contributor for the team. Here is my ranking of the Steelers 2024 undrafted rookie class.

Steelers undrafted rookie #5: QB John Rhys Plumlee

There are two real options as to who is the least exciting undrafted free agent option for this team. In the end, despite receiving a larger-than-usual signing bonus, John Rhys Plumlee seems like the least exciting name to join the offseason roster. While a fun athlete, his arm looked mediocre at UCF, so I have little hope in him being a capable pocket quarterback at the next level.

In fact, when most people were scouting Javon Baker, the receiver out of UCF, there was an agreement that Plumlee may have been holding him back. Considering how experienced Kyle Allen is, there is almost no shot that Plumlee will make the roster or stick around on the practice squad. As prototypical of a camp arm as you can get, and I can't see him making much of an impact in the Steelers new and improved quarterback room.

Steelers undrafted rookie #4: EDGE Julius Welschof

I almost had Julius Welschof as the worst of the bunch, but he narrowly edged out Plumlee. It isn’t because I think he is a hidden gem, but instead, because it seems like he will have an international players roster exemption, so his spot is essentially a free spot. Add in his intriguing athletic build and there is something worth developing considering he likely won’t count against the roster.

The issue is his stats in college, or, more specifically, the lack thereof. He was a late rotational player at Michigan and Charlotte and barely registered as a player on either roster. His athletic testing was strong, and he is newer to the game, so maybe you can give him a year on the practice squad to try and hone his craft. At the end of the day though, I think he was added because he won’t be counting against the roster, which is a big plus for him.

Steelers undrafted rookie #3: RB Daijun Edwards

While a productive player in Georgia’s running back rotation, the athletic traits just aren’t there with Daijun Edwards. He has decent size and played with good strength, but he is far too slow as a runner and despite four years in school, he never became the top guy on the depth chart.

That said, you see a really hard-nosed player who will give it his all and do whatever is necessary. I think he could be a viable special teams player and third or fourth running back on a depth chart. He will be fighting for a practice squad spot, but I could see him sticking around there as a rookie.

Steelers undrafted rookie #2: LB Jacoby Windmon

The final two names on this list have a *chance at making the initial roster after cutdowns. The lesser of the two is Jacoby Windmon, but there are some traits worth noting for the linebacker out of Michigan State. For starters, he was actually productive for a few seasons although his stats trailed off last year.

Where I think he can make an impact is on special teams, as he tested as a good athlete and was a good pass rusher in school (18 total sacks). If he can stand out there, he could earn a spot as the last linebacker on the roster. Mark Robinson is clearly not in this team's long-term plans, and while an ok special teams player, a better option could easily push him off the roster.

Steelers undrafted rookie #1: CB Beanie Bishop

The best option of the five, and it wasn’t particularly close. Beanie Bishop is the prototype of a slot cornerback, as he lacks the size and length to play on the outside. He plays like his hair is on fire, and his athleticism makes him a good fit on paper. He was extremely inconsistent in school though, and for every great play, there was one of him completely out of position.

That said, for an undrafted name, there is a clear path to the roster and even an early role on defense. There is no slot defender on the team right now, and Bishop profiles perfectly there. Assuming a more stable veteran is added to start, Bishop can be the backup there while also using his athletic traits on special teams.