Reported Steelers UDFA Signings

[bradshaw2ben]

WR Roc Taylor, Memphis
Big dude who can run straightline. Not as much production as you'd think while with a quality QB in Henigan but his highlights are great.

DB Sebastian Castro, Iowa
For a guy who tested like crap, he sure covered the bejeesus out of the 1-on-1s at the Senior Bowl. Candidate for NCB or backup Safety.

FB DJ Thomas-Jones, South Alabama. 6016, 256lbs 4.63 40 4.21 SS, 7.05 3-cone, 35 VJ, 10' BJ, 0.97 weight-adjusted Explosion. Pretty dang good for a FB. 3 rec TDs this year.

OT Aiden Williams, Minnesota-Duluth. Coveted developmental OT. Converted from TE earlier this year and did well at Shrine Bowl practices.

K Ben Sauls, Pitt

WR Ke’Shawn Williams (Indiana)

TE JJ Galbreath (South Dakota

DL Blake Mangelson "The Mangler", BYU

[SteelerDayTrader]

DJ Thomas Jones being reported from credible sources

Interesting profile

https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2025/02 ... rview-2025

[bradshaw2ben]

WR Roc Taylor, Memphis
Big dude who can run straightline. Not as much production as you'd think while with a quality QB in Henigan but his highlights are great.

DB Sebastian Castro, Iowa
For a guy who tested like crap, he sure covered the bejeesus out of the 1-on-1s at the Senior Bowl. Candidate for NCB or backup Safety.

DJ Thomas Jones is a big tester FB. My #2 FB behind Jj Pegues.
Good get.

Aiden Williams OT from Minnesota-Duluth was a coveted developmental OT. Converted from TE this year. Shined at Shrine Bowl.

[SteelerDayTrader]

Burt Lauten Steelers official mouthpiece

We have agreed to terms with the following rookie free agents:
WR Roc Taylor (Memphis)
OG Aiden Williams (Minnesota-Duluth)
FB DJ Thomas-Jones (South Alabama)
WR Ke’Shawn Williams (Indiana)
S Sebastian Castro (Iowa)
K Ben Sauls (Pitt)
TE JJ Galbreath (South Dakota

Overall my grade is:

Puke

[Stillenigma]

That’s a really good UDFA crop. Much better than previous years.

[SteelerDayTrader]

That’s a really good UDFA crop. Much better than previous years.

It’s a low bar

I like the TE/FB OT and Taylor and the other TE (sorta)

The rest ?? Puke

[steelmann58]

Like the potential of the Memphis Wr. Also gave a 30 thousand bonus to the TE

[SteelerDayTrader]

Like the potential of the Memphis Wr. Also gave a 30 thousand bonus to the TE

Which one ??

[smithessmokin]

KeShawn Williams might just surprise some of you...stepped up when the Hoosiers needed him to this past season.

[SteelerDayTrader]

KeShawn Williams might just surprise some of you...stepped up when the Hoosiers needed him to this past season.

Hopefully you are correct

I don’t have much faith

[bradshaw2ben]

KeShawn Williams might just surprise some of you...stepped up when the Hoosiers needed him to this past season.

I love that he had 5 TDs in 4 seasons at WF then 5 TDs in his one season in Indiana.

[Mick]

That’s a really good UDFA crop. Much better than previous years.

It’s a low bar

I like the TE/FB OT and Taylor and the other TE (sorta)

The rest ?? Puke

the one year, maybe 2023, it looked like the UDFA crew was selected to be intentionally bad; none of the guys were even top 30 at their position even among UDFAs. This year just looks generically unimpressive. One of them might make roster; sauls is actually pretty good.

[jebrick]

I think Castro makes the team but YMMV

[franco32]

I saw a lot of Memphis the last couple years being a Tulane fan. Roc Taylor is very interesting. You can't teach that size and speed. You would have expected a better 3 cone and vertical from him, but when you watch the tape he runs nice routes and can really go up and get the ball.

I think this is a very good addition.

[SteelerDayTrader]

I like some of the players

It keeps getting harder and harder not to be almost completely negative about the overall direction of this team and it’s leadership ownership coaching scouting development and players in general

Just one fucking damn draft post Roethlisberger I’d like to believe we are getting better or at minimum we’ve fixed even one motherfucking unit

I genuinely like Harmon. I know all too fucking well what happens next. Scam Heyward hangs on to the bitterest end. Fucking Benton gets a C2 and Black keeps “improving” all which to say we are done addressing the DL in any meaningful way until Scam decides to retire.

If they were good I could kinda be ok with it

The facts however are this

Scam and Benton both suck

Black is a project in all phases

And Harmon is gonna be offered up as the sacrificial draft investment

Rinse and repeat for every other unit on the team

Fuck you Rooney Tomlin Khan and Weidl

Fuck you

[Steelafan77]

This draft like last draft are older rookies coming in. 24-25 yrs old.

That’s my biggest complaint right now.

At best the player works out thru C1. C1 ends, 28-29 yrs old.

After that Now you’re back at square one finding and drafting a younger upgraded prospect.

Guess it’s not as bad as it sounds since this franchise likes to sign/resign older players anyway.

[Thrillsseeker]

I think Castro makes the team but YMMV

??

[Mick]

I think Castro makes the team but YMMV

??

stands for ‘your mileage may vary’, and probably isn’t appropriate for this usage but i assume he means ‘others may disagree’.

[bradshaw2ben]

I saw a lot of Memphis the last couple years being a Tulane fan. Roc Taylor is very interesting. You can't teach that size and speed. You would have expected a better 3 cone and vertical from him, but when you watch the tape he runs nice routes and can really go up and get the ball.

I think this is a very good addition.

His low TD output surprised me when I looked at him during the process. Played with a great college QB, he's a size/speed matchup problem, yet only 2 TDs and average amount of yards.

[steelmann58]

The WR is open and their room in the secondary too watch the guard from deluth

[Ice]

Debo Williams, LB South Carolina (and the DAT's Grittsburgh Buckeyes) via Dover, Delaware gets a rookie minicamp invite.

[Steelafan77]

A link for Steelers UDFA Pay-scale.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents ... /type/udfa

[langer]

Dom Serapiglia III from Central Michigan. Went to HS at TJ. I know his mom, she's an Italian brawler from an interesting bloodline IYKWIM, I expect he's a leg breaker as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-0EQO8mNFs

[Steeldrama]

More than a few teams CLEANED UP with their post draft signings
Steelers?
No so much

Couple really stood out

Falcons:

Iowa State S Malik Verdon
Oregon CB Dontae Manning
Michigan State RB Nate Carter
San Jose State WR Nick Nash
Vanderbilt WR Quincy Skinner Jr.
South Carolina TE Joshua Simon
Kansas CB Cobee Bryant
North Dakota State LB Nick Kubitz
Miami DT Simeon Barrow
Georgia Tech T Jordan Williams
Oregon State G Josh Gray

Jags:

Penn State G Sal Wormley (team)
Arkansas DB Doneiko Slaughter (ESPN)
Minnesota EDGE Danny Striggow
Memphis QB Seth Henigan
Oklahoma EDGE Ethan Downs
Oregon TE Patrick Herbert
North Dakota State DL Eli Mostaert
Colorado S Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig
Colorado DE BJ Green
Arkansas RB Ja'Quinden Jackson
Boise State WR Cam Camper
Elon WR Chandler Brayboy
Duke WR Eli Pancol
North Carolina WR J.J. Jones
North Carolina TE John Copenhaver
Arkansas DL Keivie Rose
Wake Forest LB Branson Combs
Oregon CB Jabbar Muhammad
Connecticut CB Jordan Wright

Chiefs:

Pittsburgh LB Brandon George (per CBS Sports)
Fresno State WR Mac Dalena
Florida State CB Kevin Knowles II
Penn State DT Coziah Izzard
Oklahoma State OL Dalton Cooper
Tennessee S Will Brooks
Temple WR Dante Wright
Southern Arkansas DB Melvin Smith Jr.
Florida WR Elijhah Badger
Missouri RB Elijah Young
Washington State OL Esa Pole
Southern California CB Jacobe Covington
Clemson TE Jake Briningstool
Southern California P Eddie Czaplicki
Maryland DB Glendon Miller
Texas A&M TE Tre Watson
Stephen F. Austin RB Qualan Jones

[bradshaw2ben]

Dom Serapiglia III from Central Michigan. Went to HS at TJ. I know his mom, she's an Italian brawler from an interesting bloodline IYKWIM, I expect he's a leg breaker as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-0EQO8mNFs

One of @Korey39 's best friends. He drafted him in DAT and I'm sure he's over the moon.

Dom is a pretty talented long-snapper, so that would be his shot.

[bradshaw2ben]

More than a few teams CLEANED UP with their post draft signings
Steelers?
No so much

Couple really stood out

Falcons:

Iowa State S Malik Verdon
Oregon CB Dontae Manning
Michigan State RB Nate Carter
San Jose State WR Nick Nash
Vanderbilt WR Quincy Skinner Jr.
South Carolina TE Joshua Simon
Kansas CB Cobee Bryant
North Dakota State LB Nick Kubitz
Miami DT Simeon Barrow
Georgia Tech T Jordan Williams
Oregon State G Josh Gray

Jags:

Penn State G Sal Wormley (team)
Arkansas DB Doneiko Slaughter (ESPN)
Minnesota EDGE Danny Striggow
Memphis QB Seth Henigan
Oklahoma EDGE Ethan Downs
Oregon TE Patrick Herbert
North Dakota State DL Eli Mostaert
Colorado S Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig
Colorado DE BJ Green
Arkansas RB Ja'Quinden Jackson
Boise State WR Cam Camper
Elon WR Chandler Brayboy
Duke WR Eli Pancol
North Carolina WR J.J. Jones
North Carolina TE John Copenhaver
Arkansas DL Keivie Rose
Wake Forest LB Branson Combs
Oregon CB Jabbar Muhammad
Connecticut CB Jordan Wright

Chiefs:

Pittsburgh LB Brandon George (per CBS Sports)
Fresno State WR Mac Dalena
Florida State CB Kevin Knowles II
Penn State DT Coziah Izzard
Oklahoma State OL Dalton Cooper
Tennessee S Will Brooks
Temple WR Dante Wright
Southern Arkansas DB Melvin Smith Jr.
Florida WR Elijhah Badger
Missouri RB Elijah Young
Washington State OL Esa Pole
Southern California CB Jacobe Covington
Clemson TE Jake Briningstool
Southern California P Eddie Czaplicki
Maryland DB Glendon Miller
Texas A&M TE Tre Watson
Stephen F. Austin RB Qualan Jones

Steelers UDFA class is small, but they got some enticing prospects there. Sauls may not make this team but he's likely to have a good career. Was nails in extremely bad weather conditions, which is no small thing. Serapiglia is a real candidate to win the long snapper spot if they're lloking to get younger and cheaper. Roc Taylor feel like a H/W/S guy who could be developed into something special. Castro didn't test well but neither did Brian Branch. Dude is just a player, especially in 1-on-1 coverage. Aiden Williams is a perfect sort of deveolpmental OL prospect they should be adding every year. If Smithessmokin tells me KeShawn–a kid from Inidana–is worth watching, I dig it. DJ Thomas-Jones is a player who could be the replacement for that H-Back spot. He's pretty dang good. And the South Dakota TE is a pure STs coverage guy. Big WR type who can get in vertically.

Sure, it may not have the volume or pizzazz of the groups you mentioned, but it has promise. (KC's UDFA class is better than some teams' draft class... and JAX every year kills this to the point that IMO they should let whover finds the UDFAs have more of a say in the top part of the draft) I think there's a good path to the 53 for Castro & Jones, and a decent one for Roc Taylor. Aiden Williams probably a practice squad guy. Sauls & Serapiglia if via injury would be good choices.

[bradshaw2ben]

DL Blake Mangelson "The Mangler", BYU
6050, 279 lbs, 958 hand, 3300 arm

New signing, former state wrestling champ. walked -on to BYU after Head Coach visited his house in small-town Utah. Switched from EDGE to Interior Defensive line this year and had his best season:

h[url]ttps://www.deseret.com/sports/2024/10/23/byu-c ... o-starter/[/url]

[steelmann58]

Like Castro a lot and the Memphis Wr is a kid to watch for. Thanks for the info especially the kid from Indiana

[langer]

Blake Mangelson grew up moving sprinkler pipe, working with cows, riding horses and branding cattle on his grandparents’ spread in central Utah

Lunchpailer hardhat.

[bradshaw2ben]

Blake Mangelson grew up moving sprinkler pipe, working with cows, riding horses and branding cattle on his grandparents’ spread in central Utah

Lunchpailer hardhat.

I don't know if you realize what a recognizable and big celebrity the BYU Head Coach Kalani Sitake is in Utah. Can you imagine the furor when he came to that ranch town? No wonder the kid walked on at BYU.