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Big-Bodied Steelers WR Changes Jersey Number
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- Big-Bodied Steelers WR Changes Jersey Number
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roc Taylor at OTAs on May 29, 2025. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
With newly acquired tight end Jonnu Smith wearing No. 81 , undrafted free agent wide receiver Roc Taylor has switched his number to No. 89.
Smith wore No. 81 in previous stops with the Tennessee Titans , New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons before wearing No. 9 with the Miami Dolphins last season.
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The most notable Steelers player to wear No. 89 was former tight end Bennie Cunningham, who wore it from 1976 to 1985. Other notable players who have worn the number include Ernie Mills, Will Blackwell and Jerricho Cotchery. Wide receiver Brandon Johnson wore No. 89 with the Steelers last season. He's now wearing No. 11.
The Steelers signed Memphis wide receiver Roc Taylor as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Steelers' deep ties to the Memphis program continue. In addition to Mike Tomlin coaching at Memphis in the 1990s, the Steelers currently have two former Tigers on their roster in wide receiver Calvin Austin III and cornerback Brandin Echols . Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is also a Memphis native.
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Taylor is a big-bodied wide receiver, standing at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. In 2024, he recorded 66 receptions for 950 yards and two touchdowns. Over the last two seasons, he hauled in 135 catches for the Tigers.
Taylor's specialty is winning 50/50 balls.
"It ain't a 50-50 ball, it's 100% my ball," Taylor told Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network . "I got a family to feed, and if that DB is trying to stop me in trying to get where I want to get, that's a problem… it's 100% mine every time the ball is in the air."
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roc Taylor at OTAs on May 29, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Overall in his career at Memphis, Taylor caught 163 passes for 2,375 yards and seven touchdowns. He ranks fifth in school history in both catches and receiving yards.
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Taylor received second-team All-AAC and fourth-team All-AAC (Phil Steele) honorees in 2023 . Last season, he was named first-team preseason All-AAC (Phil Steele) and Football Network preseason AAC Wide Receiver of the Year. He was also on the Reese's Senior Bowl and Biletnikoff Award watchlist.
Taylor was a late bloomer at Memphis, catching only eight passes as a freshman and 20 as a sophomore. Once things clicked, though. There was no looking back. He played a key role in the Tigers' success. Memphis went 11-2 record and ranked No. 24 in the final Associated Press poll.
"My experience at Memphis, it had ups and downs — a little challenging, you know, little something different that I never had to go through before," Taylor told Mark Edwards of The Anniston Star . "But I was just blessed to go through it."
At the NFL Combine, Taylor ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash with a 1.53-second 10-yard shuttle, 30 1/2-inch vertical jump and 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump.
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The Steelers have a clear hole at wide receiver after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in May. Many believe they will eventually land his replacement in free agency or via a trade, but one rookie already on the roster is ready to prove that it can be him.
Taylor is more motivated than ever with a roster spot up for grabs.
"Oh yeah, most definitely," Taylor said . "It's most definitely motivation for me to keep going, work hard, just do what I can do and control what I can control."
Taylor expects to mostly play as an X receiver, the same as Pickens, at 6-foot-2, 213 pounds. He has the production to back it up, too.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Big-Bodied Steelers WR Changes Jersey Number
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