The Steelers worked out eight players on Tuesday per NFL insider Aaron Wilson. Those players were wide receivers Josh Ali, Andy Isabella, and Kyle Sheets, edge rushers Eku Leota and Zeke Vandenburgh, and linebackers Yvandy Rigby, Thomas Rush, and Craig Young.
The Steelers ended up signing Leota to their practice squad.
Ali went undrafted in 2022 out of Kentucky, signing with the Atlanta Falcons. The 6'0, 200-pound receiver has appeared in two career NFL games, without a catch. In his final collegiate season, he recorded 41 catches for 601 receiving yards and four total touchdowns.
Isabella might be a familiar name to some. He was a popular name in the 2019 NFL Draft, with 102 catches for 1,698 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns in his final year at UMass. More impressively, the 5'9, 188-pound wide receiver ran a blazing 4.31-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
Isabella was drafted in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. However, he failed to ever become a consistent contributor at the NFL level, with his best year coming in 2020 with just 224 receiving yards. Isabella has most recently spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills.
He hasn't recorded a catch since 2022, but still has 43 NFL games played under his belt.
Sheets signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a UDFA in 2024. In his final season at Slippery Rock, the 6'4, 220-pound receiver recorded 76 catches for 1,186 yards and 17 touchdowns. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds.
Leota went undrafted in 2022 before signing with the Carolina Panthers. In his final season at Auburn, the 6'4, 257-pound defender recorded 17 total tackles and two sacks. At the NFL level, he's appeared in 10 games with eight total tackles and one sack.
Vandenburgh went undrafted in 2023, signing with the Miami Dolphins. He was also drafted by the USFL's Birmingham Stallions the same year. He's yet to play in an NFL game, but in his final year at Illinois State, the 6'3, 235-pound defender recorded 100 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks.
Rigby went undrafted in 2024, signing with the Carolina Panthers and later the New England Patriots' practice squad. His final season at Temple, the 6'2, 230-pound linebacker recorded 68 total tackles. He's yet to appear in an NFL game.
Rush signed with the Tennessee Titans as a UDFA in 2023. The 6'3, 252-pound linebacker has yet to record an NFL stat, but in his final season at Minnesota, he recorded 34 total tackles, two passes defensed, and 1.5 sacks.
Young signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a UDFA in 2024. In his final year at Kansas, the 6'3, 225-pound defender recorded 29 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He's yet to play in an NFL game.
Although only one of eight names was signed, Tuesday's workouts give the Steelers information on players who could be options down the road as injuries continue to pile up.