Deconstructing The Steelers 2025 Roster: The Exterior-Wanting-In

Bringing back an exercise I did ahead of the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers season. With the team one month away from reporting to training camp, it’s worth taking inventory of the Steelers’ 91-man roster (the team is carrying an extra player because of EDGE Julius Welschof’s international exemption) and offering a framework of the odds that each player makes the 53-man roster.

As our previous exercises outlined, there are a few caveats.

– This percentage only refers to the odds the player makes the Steelers’ initial 53-man roster. It doesn’t consider their practice squad odds. With a 16-man taxi squad (17 with the exemption), many players who don’t have much chance to make the 53 will end up there. Keep that in mind when examining these percentages.

– It doesn’t consider or account for inevitable injuries. That will change the landscape of the Steelers’ roster, but those are unpredictable and won’t be factored in. What will be considered are potential trades and other roster moves to reshape the roster prior to Week 1.

– Those who are listed with identical percentages are ranked in alphabetical order.

Part One – The Longshots

PLAYERS OUTSIDE-LOOKING-IN (11%-40% CHANCE OF MAKING ROSTER)

FB DJ Thomas-Jones: 33%
DL Logan Lee: 33%
P Corliss Waitman: 25%
DB Sebastian Castro: 20%
CB Donte Kent: 20%
OT Dylan Cook: 20%
RB Cordarrelle Patterson: 20%
EDGE Jeremiah Moon: 15%
OL Max Scharping: 15%
OL Aiden Williams: 15%

A smaller group here than the longshots, but that’s typical of these lists. FB DJ Thomas-Jones is an intriguing undrafted free agent who could fill the team’s vacancy at fullback, a position normally in Arthur Smith’s offense but missing last season. If he can cut his teeth on special teams and show himself to be a powerful lead blocker, he’ll have a real chance to stick. DL Logan Lee had his rookie year wiped out by a minor injury and resides near the back of a deep and competitive defensive line room. Hopefully, he plays more defensive end instead of being miscast as a nose tackle like he was last summer, replacing an injured Breiden Fehoko.

P Corliss Waitman enters camp as the underdog to P Cameron Johnston, but shouldn’t be discounted entirely. Waitman punted well last season, and Johnston has to prove his health coming off his 2024 knee injury.

DB Sebastian Castro is a versatile and productive college UDFA. A lack of size and athleticism caused him to fall out of the draft, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he made noise this summer. He could see time at slot corner and safety. Seventh-round DB Donte Kent has identical odds, a slot corner who needs to impress on special teams.

RB Cordarrelle Patterson could have even lower odds, and his roster chances have taken a big hit after RB Kenneth Gainwell was signed in free agency and RB Kaleb Johnson was scooped up in the draft. Still, OC Arthur Smith’s roster constructions can get funky, and Patterson is versatile. He also played well the first month of last season before suffering an ankle sprain that likely lingered all year. He’s made it this far into the offseason and perhaps has a real but narrow path to stick.

EDGE Jeremiah Moon is a capable ‘teamer but doesn’t possess a ton of defensive value. Drafting Jack Sawyer in the fourth round really dinged Moon’s odds of making the initial 53 without injury.

Offensive linemen round out the list. Max Scharping is a veteran with interior versatility but shouldn’t be counted on to play any level of meaningful snaps. He’s a journeyman. Aiden Williams has a big jump to make coming from D-II Minnesota-Duluth, but he offers some size and could potentially play tackle and guard in training camp. Interested in getting eyes on him. The ninth offensive lineman spot is up for grabs.