Since the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers made multiple roster moves, including adding a veteran receiver Robert Woods, who was signed to a one-year contract.
Woods, who will be entering his 13th season in the NFL, has appeared in 171 games, with 145 starts. He has 683 receptions for 8,233 yards, a 12.1-yard average, and 38 touchdowns. He also has 75 rushing attempts for 514 yards and five touchdowns.
Woods is the fourth active player in the NFL with at least 7,500 career receiving yards to catch a touchdown pass with at least four different teams.
Woods spent the last two seasons (2023-24) with the Houston Texans, appearing in 29 games, with 15 starts. He had 60 receptions for 629 yards, a 10.5-yard average, and one touchdown.
In other moves, the team waived linebacker Thomas Rush and released defensive tackle Montravius Adams Sr. The team also released defensive back Ryan Watts, a sixth-round draft pick in 2024. Watts spent the 2024 season on the Reserve/Injured List and the team released the below statement upon his release.
The Steelers had seven selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, leaning heavily on the defensive side of the ball with five selections. The team also agreed to terms with seven undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the draft.
Steelers 2025 Draft Class
Derrick Harmon - Defensive Tackle - Round 1
Kaleb Johnson - Running Back - Round 3
Jack Sawyer - Linebacker - Round 4
Yahya Black - Defensive End - Round 5
Will Howard - Quarterback - Round 6
Carson Bruener - Linebacker - Round 7
Donte Kent - Cornerback - Round 7
More on the Steelers draft picks:
Derrick Harmon, defensive tackle, Oregon - Harmon was selected with the 21st pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Harmon spent one season with the Ducks, starting all 14 games in 2024 while earning second-team Associated Press All-America honors. He was also a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the media and third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches. Harmon finished the 2024 season with a career-high 45 tackles, 27 of them solo stops. He had 10 tackles for a loss, five sacks, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Harmon began his college career at Michigan State where he played in 28 games, starting 15 of them. He finished with 71 tackles, six and a half tackles for a loss, three and a half sacks, two passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Kaleb Johnson, running back, Iowa - Johnson was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the 83rd overall pick. Johnson appeared in 35 games, starting 22, for the Hawkeyes. He carried the ball 508 times for 2,779 yards and 30 touchdowns for his career. Johnson also had 29 receptions for 240 yards and two touchdowns. In 2024, he appeared in 12 games, starting 11, and had 240 carries for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns, all career highs.
Jack Sawyer, linebacker, Ohio State - Sawyer was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the 123rd overall pick. Sawyer appeared in 53 career games, starting 29 consecutive games to finish his career. He finished with 138 tackles, 65 of them solo stops. He added 20 sacks and 25.5 tackles for a loss. He also had 11 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception.
Yahya Black, defensive end, Iowa - Black was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the 164th overall pick. Black started all 13 games in 2024, making 27 career starts, while recording 34 tackles, 18 of them solo stops this past season. He had seven tackles for a loss, one sack, two passes defensed, two quarterback pressures and one blocked field goal. In 2023 he started all 14 games, recording 51 tackles, 22 of them solo stops. He added five tackles for a loss and three and a half sacks. He also had five passes defensed, two quarterback pressures and one forced fumble.
Will Howard, quarterback, Ohio State - Howard was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the 185th overall pick. Howard spent one season with the Buckeyes after starting his college career at Kansas State. He appeared in a total of 50 games, completing 767 of 1,202 passes, 63.8%, for 9,796 yards, 83 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Howard started all 16 games for the Buckeyes, leading them to a school record 14 wins and the College Football Playoff National Championship. He completed 309 of 423 passes for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns. His completion percentage was a career and school record, also setting an Ohio State record with eight games with at least an 80% completion percentage. Among the honors Howard won in 2024 were the Most Valuable Player in the win over Texas in the Cotton Bowl and the win over Notre Dame in the CFP National Championship. Howard began his college career in 2020 at Kansas State and in four seasons appeared in 34 games. He completed 458 of 779 passes for 5,786 yards and 48 touchdowns.
Carson Bruener, linebacker, Washington - Bruener was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the 226th overall pick. Bruener, who is the son of former Steelers tight end and current scout Mark Bruener, appeared in 52 games at Washington. He finished with 306 tackles, 180 of them solo stops, 10 tackles for a loss, one and a half sacks, 14 passes defensed and four forced fumbles. In 2024, Bruener appeared in 13 games, finishing with 104 tackles, including 60 solo stops. He added three interceptions, eight passes defensed and a forced fumble.
Donte Kent, cornerback, Central Michigan - Kent was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the 229th overall pick. Kent appeared in 53 games for Central Michigan, starting 48, and finished with 235 career tackles, 171 of them solo stops. He had 47 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, four and a half tackles for a loss, and one and a half sacks. He also returned 16 punts for 217 yards, including a long of 68 yards, and one touchdown, all during the 2024 season. Kent was named All-Mid-American Conference three times, including first team in 2022 and second team in 2023 and 2024.
Steelers 2025 Rookie Undrafted Free Agents
Sebastian Castro, safety, Iowa
J.J. Galbreath, tight end, South Dakota
Ben Sauls, kicker, Pittsburgh
Roc Taylor, wide receiver, Memphis
DJ Thomas-Jones, fullback, South Alabama
Aiden Williams, offensive guard, Minnesota-Duluth
Ke'Shawn Williams, wide receiver, Indiana
More on the undrafted rookie free agents:
Sebastian Castro, safety, Iowa: Castro appeared in 53 games for the Hawkeyes, starting 32. He finished his career with 163 tackles, including 113 solo tackles. He had 14 tackles for a loss, 18 passes defensed, five forced fumbles, four interceptions and two sacks.
J.J. Galbreath, tight end, South Dakota: Galbreath appeared in 45 games for South Dakota, pulling in 93 receptions for 1,355 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2024, he appeared in 10 games, finishing with 32 receptions for 469 yards and four touchdowns. He was named first team Associated Press All-American and first team All-Conference. In addition he was a third team Phil Steele All-American.
Ben Sauls, kicker, Pittsburgh: Sauls is no stranger to the Steelers, having kicked for the Pitt Panthers since 2020. Sauls appeared in 53 games, connecting on 52-of-64 field goal attempts, 81.25%, including a long of 58 yards in 2024. Sauls was the only kicker selected to the Pro Football Focus All-America team and was also a second team All-America selection by SI.com and a Lou Groza semifinalist.
Roc Taylor, wide receiver, Memphis: Taylor appeared in 43 games, pulling in 162 receptions for 2,366 yards and seven touchdowns. Taylor had 66 receptions for 950 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, while pulling in 69 receptions for 1,083 yards and four touchdowns in 2023 when he was a second-team All-AAC selection.
DJ Thomas-Jones, fullback, South Alabama: Thomas-Jones appeared in 36 games in three seasons, pulling in 69 receptions for 610 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2024, he played in 13 games, finishing with 22 receptions for 191 yards and three touchdowns. He began his college career at Ole Miss, where he appeared in six games in 2020.
Aiden Williams, offensive guard, Minnesota-Duluth: Williams played in 40 games over four seasons, including 11 games each for the last three years. Williams was a 2023 NSIC All-Conference second team selection as well as a key part of the school leading the conference and ranked seventh in the NCAA in rushing offense. He was also named All-NSIC second team in 2022. Williams is from Anchorage, Alaska.
Ke'Shawn Williams, wide receiver, Indiana: Williams played in 59 games during his college career, starting 11 of them in his career. Williams has 2,640 all-purpose yards, including 1,833 receiving. He spent the 2024 season at Indiana where he played in 13 games with 39 receptions for 448 yards and five touchdowns. Williams spent four seasons at Wake Forest before transferring to Indiana.
