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Steelers UDFA rookie emerges as diamond in the rough vs. Saints.
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- Steelers UDFA rookie emerges as diamond in the rough vs. Saints.
Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images | Getty Images
You wouldn't be able to tell from the mere 1.1 yards per carry the Steelers gave up to the Saints offense on Sunday, but Pittsburgh's defensive line depth was shorthanded ahead of its Week 7 matchup in Paris.
Derrick Harmon, one of the Steelers' top run stuffers and a 2025 first-round pick, was on injured reserve. He was joined on IR shortly after by Sebastian Joseph-Day, one of the team's top free-agent signings this offseason.
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While Pittsburgh was still able to lean on the excellent play of Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton versus New Orleans, the team also had to ask more from D-line contributors lower on the depth chart such as Yahya Black and seventh-round rookie Gabriel Rubio, both of whom have impressed in their snaps so far this season.
But Pittsburgh also had to introduce a new name into the rotation versus the Saints: undrafted rookie Kevin Jobity Jr., who saw the first 15 snaps of his NFL career in Paris on Sunday. And maybe there's something special with UDFA defenders wearing No. 92, but Jobity — in limited snaps — looks like another potential find by the Steelers front office.
Entering the draft from Syracuse this spring, the highlight of Jobity's scouting report was his impressive 8.87 relative athletic score — at 6'4, 308 pounds, he had a 1.69-second 10-yard split and a 32-inch vertical.
The Steelers definitely saw that athleticism as well, using Jobity as the lone lineman on their kickoff return and coverage teams against the Saints. This shouldn't come as a surprise, but it's a rare sight to see players of Jobity's size in that phase of the game — linemen's physicality can be an asset on special teams, but kickoffs are about finding blocks and making tackles in space, which is a tough assignment for those over 300 pounds.
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However, Jobity looked like he belonged on kickoff teams, landing a few solid blocks and even helping corral a returner on a fantastic coverage play. In the second clip below, he can't sustain his block quite long enough, but if Lew Nichols hadn't stumbled on the return, Jobity's effort would've helped clear a lane. And the final rep is an impressive display of athleticism for a man his size.
That special teams ability will help Jobity stay in the mix when it comes to earning a helmet on future game days. But he also showed some ability on defense, with the Steelers giving him a handful of snaps on the line in the second half versus New Orleans.
Those reps weren't always clean wins, but effort has been a standout trait of Jobity's, even from the preseason. He plays through the whistle and tries to be a part of every tackle.
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In the first rep below, he does a good job dropping a knee to avoid losing position before exploding towards the ball. On the second, he initially gets shoved out the play, but keeps his eyes on the runner to get back to the gang tackle.
Here, Jobity showed some nice upper body strength, forcing Saints tackle Taliese Fuaga off-balance on a run play.
And this was Jobity's best rush of the day: condensing the pocket just enough to force a scramble from New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough.
Jobity's physical tools have never been a question, but it's encouraging to see him showing some flashes this early in his career. In an aside that could be an entirely different article, new Pittsburgh defensive line coach Domata Peko has been one of the most underrated names on the team's staff this year, getting the most out of every player in the team's D-line room.
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With such a small sample size, it's hard to draw many conclusions or set many expectations for Jobity moving forward. But the undrafted free agent — and the 11th rookie to make the Steelers' 53-man roster this year — looks like he's earned his spot in the team's defensive line room.
