XFL Players the Steelers Could Target

By G.Stryker

SteelerNation.com

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager, Kevin Colbert likes XFL players. The Steelers currently lead the way with XFL additions this off-season as they have signed 5 of 14 total XFL players. Colbert has also let slip that he's interested in signing more.

The five players the Steelers have signed from the XFL are: DE Dewayne Hendrix, OT Jarron Jones, S Tyree Kinnel, LS/LB Christian Kuntz, & DT Cavon Walker.

From a fan Q&A on Steelers Nation Unite, Colbert was quoted when asked about XFL players:

“Right now, we have five under contract, we still have a few more in the works,” Colbert said. “But it was good that those players are made available to us because going through this draft as we are with some limited information, that could curtail some of the college free agents that we’re able to sign just on a knowledge of who they are type basis. So, knowing these players a little bit better, we feel it was important to add as many as we thought could help us in terms of being competitive players for training camp."

With Coronavirus affecting the ability to interview and work out college players, XFL players have an advantage of having tape against other professional athletes. This gives them a leg up when paired with their college tape and NFL tape from previous seasons.

So who should the Steelers be targeting currently? Personally, I think the top target should be the cream of the XFL crop, WR Cam Phillips. In five games, Cam led the XFL in yards with 455, and TD's with 9. He was the XFL Player of the Week for three of the five weeks played. Watching him play, he runs a full route tree, he's quick in and out of breaks, he works back to the football, has excellent hand placement, and fights for yardage after the catch. There are elements of his game that reminds me of Hines Ward, with his physical play, and especially on the last touchdown in this highlight reel of his shortened XFL season when he would not be denied of a touchdown.

The next target is another position of need and a player the Steelers are familiar with. Steven Johnson played ILB for the Seattle Dragons, and led the XFL in tackles with 48 and tackles for a loss. Like Cam, he was named to the All-XFL team halfway through the season. Johnson spent part of the 2016 and 2017 seasons on and off the Steelers roster, but he proved himself as an excellent special teams tackler, and was praised for his work ethic. Though he's a bit older (32), his experience and determination has shown he can excel at the AAF and XFL level, so he is a low risk athlete that needs very little seasoning for a team that desperately needs depth at ILB.

Eli Rogers could also be a WR target since the Steelers lack depth at the slot receiver position. Eli was neck and neck in the competition last year that ultimately saw Ryan Switzer make the team. Switzer's poor production last season could open the door to rekindle that competition again in the slot.

If there is an injury to one of the five quarterbacks currently rostered in training camp, Landry Jones could be a dark horse addition down the road. Jones entered the XFL with high expectations to perform, but injuries slowed his success. The Steelers are very familiar with his ability to run this offense, and reached out to his agent when Ben Roethlisberger was injured. Jones was under contract with the XFL at the time, and was unable to break his contract to return to the NFL.

Are there any other XFL standouts the Steelers should seek out? Let us know in the comment section below!

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