Halicke: Five intriguing undrafted free agents ahead of rookie minicamp

With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, rookie minicamp is next on the Steelers' agenda for getting their new players acclimated to the team. 

While it's certainly exciting to see the draft picks in Steelers helmets and practice jerseys for the first time, it's also important to pay attention to the crop of undrafted free agents looking to make a name for themselves.

The Steelers have had plenty of success finding undrafted free agents, even going all the way back to the glory days in the 1970s with players such as Randy Grossman and Donnie Shell. In recent years, the Steelers have had the likes of Willie Parker, James Harrison and our very own Ramon Foster come in as undrafted free agents and carve out important roles for themselves. 

Jaylen Warren is the most recent example of an undrafted free agent taking the bull by the horns, forcing Mike Tomlin and other decision-makers to give them a spot on the 53-man roster. And in two seasons, Warren has become a very close second to first-round pick Najee Harris, forming one of the best running back duos in the NFL.

This year's initial crop of undrafted free agents have some intriguing names. While there is obvious reasons they weren't selected in the draft, it doesn't mean they can't join the aforementioned list of players that made their stamp on franchise history.

Here are five names to watch heading into this weekend's rookie minicamp:

JOHN RHYS PLUMLEE
QB, UCF

The Steelers are set at quarterback with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen in tow. But, the Steelers always carry four quarterbacks into training camp.

Enter John Rhys Plumlee.

Plumlee played in 52 career games, starting 33. He completed 464 of 760 passes for 5,838 yards and 34 touchdowns. In 2023 he completed 161 of 256 passes for 2,271 yards and 15 touchdowns. Over the past two seasons, Plumlee also rushed for 1,367 yards and 16 scores on 265 carries.

Plumlee is really intriguing, particularly for comparisons to Saints gadget quarterback Taysom Hill. At 5-11 and 200 pounds, Plumlee falls well short of the standard size of an NFL quarterback. But he's got a good amount of athleticism, probably no better displayed than on this score against FAU:

Plumlee doesn't have the strongest arm, which doesn't bode well given his lack of size. But, there is still enough arm talent there as Plumlee played outfield on UCF's baseball team in 2023. As evidenced by a quarterback such as Wilson, who excelled at both football and baseball, being able to make different types of throws in multiple sports helps with making different types of throws as a quarterback, especially on the run.

However, Plumlee may always be a bit limited as a pure passer. He’s over-reliant on his creation ability to a fault, and he doesn’t have the high-level anticipation or processing. That can really limit his ceiling as an NFL quarterback.

All indications thus far point to Plumlee sticking at quarterback with the Steelers, so it will be interesting to see how he fits. After all, there might not be a better quarterback to learn from than Wilson.

BEANIE BISHOP
CB, WEST VIRGINIA

The Steelers still need someone to seize the slot cornerback, and while it's a bit unfair to rely on an undrafted free agent to take that over, Beanie Bishop is certainly a name that we could be talking about for that job in July and August.

Bishop played one season for the Mountaineers, recording 67 tackles (54 solo) and four interceptions while starting 13 games. He earned first team All-American honors (Walter Camp and FWAA) and second team All-American honors (Associated Press, Sporting News, AFCA). He was also selected to the All-Big 12 Conference first team.

At 5-9 and 182 pounds, Bishop lacks the necessary size to be relied on to play outside cornerback at the NFL level. He has good speed and athleticism, as well as a good burst and transition skills that helps him break up passes and make plays in off-man coverage. It's no accident that Bishop led the nation with 20 passes defensed. Add that to his four interceptions, and that's enough to show that Bishop has the necessary ball skills to make a case for himself in the NFL.

But, despite having good transition skills and athleticism, Bishop best fits in the slot. He stands a much better chance of carving out a role there, especially because Bishop not only has exceptional ball skills but also is a willing tackler. Over six college seasons, Bishop missed only 10.6% of his tackle opportunities, according to Pro Football Focus, which also shows he's a good tackler, as well.

Bishop has a lot to prove before earning a roster spot, much less an actual starting role on the team. But, his game reminds me a lot of Mike Hilton, so it'll be interesting to see how he fares over the next few months.

DAIJUAN EDWARDS
RB, GEORGIA

The Steelers are set at running back with Harris, Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson. But, you can never have too much depth at any position, especially when that can come in the form of a running back that was productive and efficient in the SEC.

Daijuan Edwards played in 51 games for the Bulldogs, carrying the ball 390 times for 2,083 yards, while adding 24 touchdowns. Edwards appeared in 12 games in 2023, starting 10. He led Georgia in rushing with 165 carries for 880 yards. His 13 rushing touchdowns ranked second on the team and fifth in the SEC.

Any time a running back can average 5.34 yards per carry over 51 games in the SEC, that alone might be worth a look. Yes, Edwards could be the beneficiary of a strong Georgia offensive line, but he has some quality traits that translate to the NFL, including good balance and ability to bounce off would-be tacklers in traffic.

Edwards also has a very good lateral step, which helps him reset his running lane. And, at 5-10 and 207 pounds, he's slippery enough to fit through crevices to break off some runs:

The biggest knock on Edwards is a severe lack of athleticism. He lacks breakaway speed as he ran a 4.7 40-yard dash, and he recorded poor marks in the vertical jump (30 inches) and broad jump (9 feet, 6 inches). His Relative Athletic Score was an abysmal 1.9 out of a possible 10.

Players aren't and shouldn't be defined by how they measure athletically, but there's a reason these numbers are all recorded. Edwards has quite a bit to prove, which is why he went undrafted. But, he's definitely worth a look, especially since any additions to the running back room would just be icing on the cake.

JULIUS WELSCHOF
EDGE, CHARLOTTE

Julius Welschof is an edge defender with a curious blend of size and speed. He stands 6-foot-6, but weighs only 265 pounds. However, he also ran an impressive 4.79 in the 40-yard dash and posted a 32 1/2-inch vertical and a 10-foot-2 broad jump, earning a strong Relative Athletic Score of 8.94 out of 10.

Welschof started at defensive end for Charlotte but had his 2023 season cut short due to injury, playing in only four games. He began his career at Michigan where he played in 35 games, primarily as a rotational backup and special teamer.

Welschof combines his plus athleticism with a strong ability to maintain the edge in defending against the run. There is quite a bit to be desired as a pass rusher. In three seasons as a regular contributor at Michigan, he recorded 23 tackles, one-half sack and one pass defended. He obviously didn't get much of a chance to contribute at Charlotte due to injury, but there's still a significant lack of production in terms of getting to the quarterback.

One interesting fact about Welschof: He's from Miesbach, Bavaria, Germany, where he grew up as a competitive skier. This actually makes Welschof a unique undrafted free agent because he's International Player Pathway eligible. That means the Steelers could keep him on the practice squad without him counting toward the 16 allotted spots.

JACOBY WINDMON
LB, MICHIGAN STATE

The Steelers have shored up the inside linebacker position by signing Patrick Queen in free agency and selecting Payton Wilson with the 98th overall pick in this year's draft. But, it couldn't hurt to add another name to the mix for depth purposes.

Jacoby Windmon played 41 career games, playing two seasons at Michigan State after transferring from UNLV. While at Michigan State, Windmon played in 11 games, recording 64 tackles, 23 of them solo stops. He also had 12.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, three passes defensed and an interception.

Windmon was limited to eight games in 2022 because he was suspended for the final four games of the season for taking part in a fight between Michigan and Michigan State players in the tunnel at Michigan Stadium. His 2023 season was limited to only three games due to a pectoral injury. He had one more season of college eligibility remaining and first announced that he was entering the transfer portal. Ultimately, he decided to declare for the draft in January.

You'd like to see a better track record for Windmon, who could have probably benefited from that additional college season to improve his draft stock, though it would have been his sixth at the collegiate level. Windmon has some decent athleticism, running a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash, but lacks a bit in the explosive traits, posting a 31-inch vertical and 9-foot-7 broad jump. He's got decent size at six feet tall and 235 pounds.

Windmon's got a good nose for the football and has good explosion in pursuit of the ball carrier or while rushing the passer. However, he can get lost in the wash far too often in run defense and is a liability in pass coverage, specifically in man coverage. He fits the profile of what the Steelers seem to employ at inside linebacker, so it will be interesting to see how he fits in Pittsburgh.