30 Unsigned Draft Picks Remain
With training camps less than a month away, 30 members of the 2023 draft class remain unsigned. Several teams have agreed to terms with their entire draft classes, but a handful of teams have multiple players still unsigned. Draft slots largely explain this. First- and second-rounders comprise the bulk of the unsigned lot, with guarantees the core issue for the latter group. Here are the unsigned draftees:
Round 1:
- No. 1: Panthers QB Bryce Young (Alabama)
- No. 2: Texans QB C.J. Stroud (Ohio State)
- No. 4: Colts QB Anthony Richardson (Florida)
- No. 5: Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon (Illinois)
- No. 12: Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama)
- No. 13: Packers DE Lukas Van Ness (Iowa)
- No. 15: Jets DE Will McDonald (Iowa State)
- No. 16: Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes (Mississippi State)
- No. 17: Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon)
Round 2:
- No. 32: Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State)
- No. 33: Titans QB Will Levis (Kentucky)
- No. 40: Saints DE Isaiah Foskey (Notre Dame)
- No. 41: Cardinals DE BJ Ojulari (LSU)
- No. 42: Packers TE Luke Musgrave (Oregon State)
- No. 43: Jets OL Joe Tippmann (Wisconsin)
- No. 44: Colts CB Julius Brents (Kansas State)
- No. 45: Lions DB Brian Branch (Alabama)
- No. 46: Patriots DE Keion White (Georgia Tech)
- No. 47: Commanders CB Jartavius Martin (Illinois)
- No. 48: Buccaneers OL Cody Mauch (North Dakota State)
- No. 50: Packers WR Jayden Reed (Michigan State)
- No. 51: Dolphins CB Cam Smith (South Carolina)
- No. 52: Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA)
Round 3:
- No. 77: Rams OLB Byron Young (Tennessee)
- No. 89: Rams DL Kobie Turner (Wake Forest)
Round 4:
- No. 105: Eagles CB Kelee Ringo (Georgia)
- No. 108: Colts T Blake Freeland (BYU)
Round 6:
- No. 182: Rams CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (TCU)
- No. 189: Rams OLB Ochaun Mathis (Nebraska)
- No. 215: Rams RB Zach Evans (Ole Miss)
The second-round slowdown continues a trend. Last year, more Round 2 choices received three fully guaranteed years compared to prior drafts. This year’s No. 39 overall pick — Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss) — broke through with three locked-in years and a partial 2026 guarantee. This would explain the next nine players drafted being unsigned, with the agents for the players chosen immediately after Mingo angling for the same terms or guarantees in the same ballpark.
No. 31 overall choice Felix Anudike-Uzomah‘s four-year Chiefs deal is fully guaranteed, while No. 34 pick Sam LaPorta (Lions) has a partial 2026 guarantee. This would explain the Nos. 32 and 33 choices remaining unsigned. Other issues — like offset language and signing bonus payouts — annually arise in rookie-deal negotiations, but most of these players will be signed by the time teams head to training camp. A few stragglers report late due to their contracts each year, but the 2011 CBA’s slot system — which the 2020 CBA kept in place — largely addressed the issues that once emerged frequently regarding rookie pacts.
Could Steelers Keep Only Two RBs On Roster?
In 2022, five running backs (including one fullback) recorded carries for the Steelers offense. Starter Najee Harris and then-rookie Jaylen Warren accounted for 91 percent of those carries (349 of 384 total). The next two most-active carriers, Benny Snell and Derek Watt, are currently free agents, while Anthony McFarland is on a reserve/futures contract after spending last season on the team’s practice squad. All signs are pointing to an offense heavily featuring Harris and Warren, but is it possible that Pittsburgh would go so far as to only keep two running backs on their roster going into the 2023 season? Mark Kaboly of The Athletic seems to think so. Let’s break it down. 
First of all, the name of the game for NFL running backs these days is “youth.” With a 25-year-old Harris heading into his third NFL season and a 24-year-old Warren heading into his second, the Steelers may be better set up than any team to roll confidently with two backs for a full season. Harris hasn’t missed a game since entering the NFL, and after leading the NFL in touches as a rookie, he shouldered another heavy load last year with the sixth-most touches in the league.
Warren wasn’t asked to do much in his rookie season. He only averaged about five carries per game, but despite playing less than half the number of snaps as Harris, Warren showed he has potential catching out of the backfield. He recorded 15 fewer receiving yards than Harris, but Warren averaged 7.6 yards per catch to Harris’s 5.6. He fits as an ideal relief back for Harris who can slide in on passing downs when needed. He hasn’t shown that he can carry the team if needed, but neither has any other back on their roster. Plus, Harris hasn’t put Pittsburgh in that position yet during his short career.
McFarland is struggling to hold on to a roster spot in Pittsburgh. After appearing in 11 games as a rookie in 2020, McFarland has only appeared in three games in the two seasons since. The team waived him in its final roster cuts before last season, negating his four-year rookie contract, before signing him to the practice squad and, eventually, a futures contract.
Pittsburgh also signed running back Jason Huntley to a futures contract this offseason after he spent the 2022 season on the practice squad. Huntley has 18 career carries for the Eagles over his first two years in the league but didn’t contribute at all to the Steelers offense last year.
Additionally, the team signed three undrafted free agents: small school backs Darius Hagans out of Virginia State and Alfonzo Graham out of Morgan State as well as Iowa fullback Monte Pottebaum. Hagans and Graham put up strong 2022 seasons for the Trojans and Bears, respectively, but neither is really considered a big threat to push Warren for backup or receiving back duties. Pottebaum was a distinguished scholar at Iowa and a strong special teams contributor.
Of all the above-mentioned backs, McFarland and Pottebaum have the strongest cases for making the 53-man roster with Harris and Warren. Special teams coordinator Danny Smith reportedly has a number of holes to fill in his units, but if he can do so without McFarland or Pottebaum, their chances of making the team will plummet.
Pottebaum has the added opportunity of solidifying himself as a true fullback, filling the void left by Watt. Even that’s not a sure thing, though, as tight end Connor Heyward could always revert back to that role, if needed. Before playing his redshirt senior season and his rookie NFL season at tight end, Heyward spent four years at Michigan State as a stout running back. If the Steelers decided to utilize his blocking and receiving abilities in a fullback/H-back type of role, they may continue to carry four tight ends on the roster in lieu of a third running back.
So, there you have it. As insane as it may seem in today’s NFL, the Steelers may be well on their way to carrying only two running backs on their 53-man roster. They fully trust Harris and Warren to carry out the duties of the room between them, and they can always cheat a little by borrowing a bit from the tight end room, if necessary.
Steelers Sign Round 1 T Broderick Jones
The Steelers are now down to one unsigned draft choice. Their first-round pick, tackle Broderick Jones, agreed to terms on his four-year rookie contract Friday.
Georgia’s left tackle starter last season, Jones is now under contract through 2026. By May of that year, the Steelers can decide to pick up his fifth-year option and push the deal through 2027. For now, Jones is early in his developmental stages. While he comes to Pittsburgh expected to take over at left tackle, the ascent is not guaranteed to happen before Week 1.
[RELATED: Steelers Sign Round 2 DT Keeanu Benton]
Although Jones entered the draft pool as one of this year’s top prospects, he spent one season as a primary college starter. Granted, it was for a program that won a second straight national championship. But Jones resided as a backup during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Following eventual Chargers sixth-round pick Jamaree Salyer‘s NFL entrance in 2022, Jones took over at left tackle for the Bulldogs. He started all 15 games on Stetson Bennett‘s blind side, gliding to first-team All-SEC acclaim and setting himself up as a higher-regarded prospect than Salyer.
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. graded Jones as the No. 3 tackle available and 13th-best overall prospect. After the Bears chose Tennessee’s Darnell Wright at No. 10, the Titans went with Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski. Following two non-O-line choices at Nos. 12 and 13, the Steelers swooped in with a three-spot move up the board. Steelers decision-makers have confirmed they believed the Jets were preparing to draft Jones at No. 15, leading to the trade talks with the Patriots, who enjoyed the ancillary benefit of denying the Jets a first-round-caliber tackle. While the Patriots also have questions at tackle, they preferred Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
Jones will attempt to wrest the tackle job from two-year incumbent Dan Moore, a 2021 third-round pick. The Steelers have received unspectacular tackle play from Moore and Chukwuma Okorafor, leading to the team’s first Round 1 tackle investment since 1996. But Moore has thus far held his own against the high-end prospect. This matter will not be settled until pads come on, and Jones is ticketed to be Pittsburgh’s long-term answer on Kenny Pickett‘s blind side. For now, however, the 14th overall pick is not a lock to begin the season as a starter.
With Benton signing earlier today, only No. 32 overall pick Joey Porter Jr. remains unsigned from Pittsburgh’s 2023 class.
Steelers Sign Round 2 DT Keeanu Benton
The Steelers have nearly completed the process of signing their draft class to their initial NFL contracts. Pittsburgh inked second-round defensive tackle Keeanu Benton to his four-year rookie deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
Notably, Rapoport reports that Benton’s contract includes guranteed money in Year 3, something which is unprecedented for players selected in the No. 49 slot. The move likely signals the expectations Pittsburgh has for the Wisconsin product, who demonstrated a disruptive ability during his time at the college level and will be tasked with translating it to the pro game.
Benton spent four years with the Badgers, and he showcased his pass-rushing traits right away with a pair of sacks in eight games during his freshman season. The 6-4, 315-pounder was held without a sack or tackle for loss as a sophomore, but his production picked up over the past two seasons. During that span, he totaled seven sacks and 15 TFLs, adding four pass deflections and a pair of fumble recoveries along the way.
Those figures made the 21-year-old one of the top DT prospects in this year’s class, and a target of the Steelers with their third selection. Benton will join a defensive line which also features three-time All-Pro Cameron Heyward and the re-signed Larry Ogunjobi along the interior. Those veterans are under contract through 2024 and ’25, respectively, so Benton will likely see a rotational role early in his career.
Much of his playing time could come via the snaps vacated by veteran Tyson Alualu. The latter is unsigned after spending the past six years in the Steel City, a tenure he would prefer to extend. The presence of Benton gives the Steelers a short- and long-term replacement, though, and more upside with respect to their depth options along the defensive front. With the latter’s deal now taken care of, Pittsburgh’s only remaining unsigned rookies are the two selected ahead of Benton, left tackle Broderick Jones and cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/20/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: DB Scott Nelson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived/injured: LB Mariano Sori-Marin
Nelson had a pair of stints on Pittsburgh’s practice squad last season, and he was retained via a futures contract after the season. The former UDFA had a productive career at Wisconsin, compiling 125 tackles and four interceptions.
Sori-Marin has been released with an injury designation, but it’s uncertain what injury the linebacker suffered. The undrafted rookie joined the 49ers back in May following a five-year stint at Minnesota. During his time with the Golden Gophers, Sori-Marin collected 274 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Steelers Sign LB Nick Kwiatkoski
Nick Kwiatkoski‘s minicamp audition with the Steelers will lead to an agreement. The Pittsburgh-area native agreed to terms with his hometown team Tuesday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
The veteran linebacker will head back to Pennsylvania after spending the 2022 season in Atlanta. Kwiatkoski joins Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts as veteran linebackers added to the Steelers’ equation this offseason. It is a one-year deal, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
This marks the third Kwiatkoski contract agreement in four years, though the West Virginia alum also agreed to multiple Raiders restructures. The Raiders signed the former Bears part-time starter to a three-year, $21MM deal in 2020, but after the team cut bait in 2022, worse terms awaited from the Falcons. But Atlanta still afforded an opportunity — on a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum. Considering this is a June addition after a minicamp tryout, Kwiatkoski’s Steelers terms are likely similar to what he received from the Falcons.
Drafted in the 2016 fourth round by the Bears a month after their Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman signings, Kwiatkoski ended up moving into Chicago’s starting lineup frequently over his first two seasons. He started 13 games from 2016-17, and even after the Bears made Roquan Smith a top-10 pick in 2018, they still needed Kwiatkoski for eight starts during his 2019 contract year. He parlayed that into the Raiders accord, with the Silver and Black signing he and Cory Littleton in March 2020. Neither deal worked out, and both off-ball ‘backers were gone as the Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels regime took over last year.
Kwiatkoski, 30, played 12 Falcons games last season, working mostly as a special-teamer. He logged 228 special teams snaps, marking his third season with at least 200 ST plays. While Kwiatkoski has started 34 career games, he profiles as a depth piece in Pittsburgh. The Bethel Park High alum joins offseason addition Tanner Muse and 2022 seventh-round pick Mark Robinson as the Steelers’ top non-Holcomb and Roberts options. Depth could be key here, with Holcomb coming off a December foot surgery.
Additionally, the Steelers released wide receiver Anthony Miller. A former Kwiatkoski Bears teammate whom the team chose in the 2018 second round, Miller has been unable to find his NFL footing since a promising 2019 season (656 receiving yards). The Bears traded Miller to the Texans in July 2021, but Houston waived him soon after. The Jaguars and Steelers took subsequent fliers later that year, and Miller ended up sticking with Pittsburgh for a bit. But he only played in one game with the Steelers. The ex-Chicago slot suffered a shoulder injury while competing for a Steelers job in training camp last year and spent the season on IR.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/19/23
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LS Rex Sunahara
This marks a return to Pittsburgh for Sunahara, whose most recent playing experience came for the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas this year. The Steelers brought in Sunahara late during the 2021 season, adding the specialist to their practice squad. Pittsburgh gave the West Virginia alum a reserve/futures contract in January 2022 but waived him the following May. Despite working out ex-Ravens tight end/long snapper hopeful Nick Boyle this offseason, the Steelers look like they will hold a Sunahara-Christian Kuntz snapper competition.
Steelers LT Dan Moore In Line To Retain Starting Role?
An upgrade at offensive tackle was widely seen as a top draft priority for the Steelers this year, so it came as no surprise when they used their first-round selection (following a trade up the board) on Broderick Jones. That decision came with the expectation of a change on the blindside immediately taking place, but spring practices suggested otherwise. 
However, incumbent Dan Moore has taken all of Pittsburgh’s first-team snaps so far this offseason, as noted by The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (subscription required). Moore has started all 33 of his regular season appearances in two years with the Steelers since joining the team as a fourth-round pick. His level of play over that span has drawn underwhelming reviews from PFF along with plenty of criticism. However, the team’s coaching staff has been impressed dating back to the 2022 campaign.
“If you watched him from midseason last year to the end of the season, he’s improved as much as anybody I have ever been around,” offensive line coach Pat Meyer said while evaluating Moore, 24. “To me, he’s going to be lights out.”
The Texas A&M alum did take a step forward in terms of PFF ratings in 2022 compared to his rookie season, though his overall grade (62.4) leaves plenty to be desired. Moore was charged with seven sacks allowed last season, as was the case in 2021. That may provide Jones a window of opportunity to showcase his pass protection in training camp, but one of the downsides to his pre-draft evaluation was his lack of playing experience at Georgia.
As a result, Kaboly adds that the eventual transition from Moore to Jones at left tackle may not take place in 2023, or at least by the beginning of the campaign. Interestingly, the former has also spent time practicing as a right tackle, the spot he is likeliest to occupy once the latter becomes a first-teamer. The RT position currently belongs to Chukwuma Okorafor, as it has since 2020. Moore could very well find himself competing for the starting spot on that side, though the point at which that happens may be delayed relative to early expectations.
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith Addresses Extension Talks
One of the top remaining offseason priorities for the Steelers is finalizing an extension with pass rusher Alex Highsmith, something which will no doubt require a lucrative long-term commitment. Efforts on that front are already underway, and his latest remarks on the subject are optimistic in nature. 
“That would be awesome,” Highsmith said, via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, when asked about the possibility of having a deal in place by training camp. “We’ll see what happens. I’m confident with the way things are going… Right now, I just want to focus on ball.”
Contract negotiations have been taking place since May, a logical step from the Steelers’ perspective considering Highsmith’s value to the team’s pass rush. The 25-year-old has taken a signficant step forward in sack production during each of his three years in the league, and he registered 14.5 in 2022. That further proved his effectiveness as a compliment to All-Pro T.J. Watt, but a downturn in effectiveness during the latter’s missed time could cloud his value in the team’s eyes.
Highsmith should be in line for a signficant raise as early as this summer, as general manager Omar Khan acknowledged last month. Should talks stall over the effect Watt has on the former third-rounder’s production (not to mention the team’s substantial investment in Watt), though, Highsmith’s performance in 2023 would increasingly be worth watching. Requiring Pittsburgh to use the franchise tag or risk him hitting the open market would mark a troubling and unexpected turn of events in his case.
If each party gets their way, however, a multi-year extension may very well be in place by the time training camp opens next month. A long-term Watt-Highsmith combination would be costly for the Steelers, of course, but keeping the tandem in place would allow the team to remain elite in the pass-rush department for years to come. Working out the details of a second contract for the latter figures to be high on the agenda for Pittsburgh in the coming weeks.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/16/23
Friday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Chris Blair, DL Albert Huggins, K Matthew Trickett
- Placed on IR: RB Avery Williams (story)
- Released: QB Austin Aune, WR Justin Marshall
New York Giants
- Waived (injury designation): TE Andre Miller
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: S Scott Nelson
Trickett’s deal is three years in length, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). That represents a sizeable commitment considering the Falcons are already set at the kicker position with Younghoe Koo. Trickett will have training camp and the offseason to earn himself an extended look on Atlanta’s practice squad during training camp and the preseason following his five-year college career. He spent time at Kent State and Minnesota, converting 79 of 100 field goal attempts and all but three of his 179 extra point kicks.