The Steelers worked out a whopping nine players ahead of Week 18. According to the report from NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, those players were quarterback Zach Annexstad, offensive linemen Gunner Britton, Matt Farniok, Garret Greenfield, Alec Lindstrom, and Cole Spencer, and wide receivers Ahmarean Brown, Lideatrick Griffin, and Tre’Shaun Harrison.
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Annexstad went undrafted in 2024, spending the summer with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Minnesota and Illinois State. His final season at Illinois State, he completed 69.7% of his passes, throwing for 2,111 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The 6’3, 220-pound quarterback added 149 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground.
Britton spent the summer with the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted out of Auburn in 2024. The 6’6, 312-pound lineman played left tackle, right tackle, and left guard in college; he was named second team All-SEC at guard in 2023 by AP.
Farniok was a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys out of Nebraska. He played right tackle, right guard, and center in college, but has played both of his NFL starts at left guard. The 6’5, 315-pound lineman has appeared in a total of 19 NFL games, spending time with the Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Birmingham Stallions of the UFL.
“Farniok has three-position flexibility but will likely play guard or center as a pro,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein of Farniok. “He has a long frame with decent proportions and can fit gap and zone schemes. There’s room for continued growth as a run blocker but his pass protection is below average. He has a shot to earn a role as a backup interior offensive lineman.”
Greenfield played college football at South Dakota State, starting at left and right tackle. He played alongside current Steeler Mason McCormick on the Jackrabbits’ offensive line. The 6’7, 320-pound lineman went undrafted in 2024, signing with the Seattle Seahawks. He’s since spent time on the New York Giants’ practice squad.
“The sixth-year senior has seen his fair share of football and has shown continued improvement over the last three years,” wrote Zierlein in his evaluation of Greenfield. “He plays with good quickness and is athletic in his lower body but needs to play under control. He’s capable of setting out to rush speed or getting to lateral landmarks as a run blocker. Greenfield has a tendency to play with arbitrary footwork as both a run and pass blocker, which curtails his contact balance and consistency to sustain. He’ll need to improve his core strength and protection technique to play in the NFL, but he has enough talent and athletic ability to compete for a backup role.”
Lindstrom played college football at Boston College, where he earned All-ACC first team honors in 2020 and 2021 at center. He went undrafted in 2022, signing with the Cowboys. The 6’3, 296-pound center has since spent time with the Memphis Showboats of the UFL, as well as the Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets. He’s appeared in one NFL game.
“Gritty, competitive center with below-average NFL size and athletic qualities. Lindstrom has a good feel for landmarks but doesn’t play with enough bend or lateral quickness to consistently get to where he needs to go,” wrote Zierlein. “He will turn base blocks into wrestling matches but needs to play with more accurate hands to help improve his win percentage. He can square and scrap against downhill rushers but loses balance in his base when he’s forced to slide and mirror. Lindstrom has backup potential but a lack of traits and versatility could hurt his cause.”
Spencer played college football at Western Kentucky and Texas Tech. The 6’4, 300-pound lineman had 50 career starts in college, playing left tackle at WKU and left guard as a Red Raider. He went undrafted in 2024, signing with the Tennessee Titans as a UDFA.
Brown started his career as part of the Bills’ 2024 UDFA class, spending the first half of October on Buffalo’s practice squad this season. At South Carolina in 2023, Brown recorded 26 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown.
“Brown’s short-area elusiveness can make him a fun watch on receiver screens and jet sweeps,” wrote Zierlein in a draft profile of Brown. “His smallish frame will be an issue for teams concerned with long-term durability, though. He can run with separation speed vertically but isn’t built to win contested catches on any of the three levels. Brown displayed ability as a punt returner in 2022 and he might be pigeonholed as a ‘gadget guy’ and punt returner if he makes a team.”
The 5’9, 167-pound receiver ran a blazing fast 4.31-second 40-yard dash time at his pro day.
Griffin played college football at Mississippi State before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders as a UDFA in 2024. He’s since spent time on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad.
“The draft grade is lower than the flashes on tape, but projecting the ceiling seems a little too risky with his evaluation,” wrote Zierlein in his draft profile of Griffin. “Griffin is on the thinner side, but he’s a willing run finisher after the catch and as a kick returner. He’s a gifted athlete with explosive acceleration and the tools to become a challenging man cover option. Griffin doesn’t play with nearly enough focus and will cruise through routes rather than finishing them with tempo. While the tools are there for him to become a more well-rounded receiver, Griffin might not develop into much more than a specialty receiver with kick-return value.”
Griffin ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, measuring in at 5’10, 181 pounds. In his final season of college football, he caught 50 passes for 658 yards and four touchdowns, adding another score on the ground.
Harrison played college football at Florida State and Oregon State before going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He signed with the Tennessee Titans, where he spent the season on the practice squad.
In college, the 5’11, 184-pound receiver recorded 52 catches for 604 yards and four touchdowns in his final season as a Beaver.
“Harrison’s speed and athletic ability are NFL-caliber on tape,” wrote Zierlein of Harrison. “While he flashes ball skills at times, it’s hard not to notice his drops and below-average deep-ball tracking. His route running is unfocused, but he has the physical tools to tighten it up. Harrison’s easy movements around the field and top-end speed warrant a late-round pick as a developmental prospect.”
As with most late-season workouts, it’s unlikely we’ll see any of the nine players in a Steelers uniform this season. However, Pittsburgh has some new names on its rolodex for reserve/futures contracts in the offseason.
