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The beauty about social media in the modern age is players can break their own news. That’s exactly what Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp invitee and running back Alfonzo Graham did.
Following the conclusion of Pittsburgh rookie minicamp on May 14, Graham revealed he had signed with the Steelers.
“Officially a steeler,” Graham wrote on Twitter. “Signed!”
Joining the 90-man roster, Graham is now one of six running backs the Steelers have under contract.
Morgan State RB Alfonzo Graham Signs With Steelers
According to Graham’s agent, the Steelers have signed Graham to a three-year deal.
Standing at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Graham likely doesn’t have the size in order to compete for a starting job in the NFL. With the Steelers, he won’t have that opportunity anyway with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren at the top of the running back depth chart.
But Graham possesses sub-4.6 40-yard dash-time speed and played at a high school that has produced big NFL names. That helped him become a star in two seasons at Morgan State.
“Ran for 1,150 yards last season with nine total touchdowns (eight rushing, one receiving),” Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora wrote. “From Dunbar High School in Baltimore, the same school that produced Josh Cribbs and the Davis brothers, Vernon and Vontae.
“Ran 4.56 at his Pro Day HBCU Combine invite, which GM Omar Khan attended.”
In two seasons at Morgan State, Graham ran for 1,656 yards with 13 touchdowns and caught 31 passes. He also had a receiving touchdown.
As a senior in 2022, he earned first-team All-MEAC honors.
Graham began his college career at Fullerton College. In addition to participating in the HBCU Combine, he also attended the HBCU Legacy Bowl.
How Graham Could Fit With the Steelers
As previously mentioned, the Steelers are set with Harris and Warren on top of their running back depth chart.
But the Steelers are trying to replace the departed Benny Snell this offseason. In four seasons in Pittsburgh, Snell had 275 carries and rushed for 982 yards.
Snell didn’t have much of a role on offense during 2022. He recorded a career-low 20 carries and 90 rushing yards while playing just 42 offensive snaps.
But Snell did have a sizable role on special teams. He returned 3 kickoffs while lining up for 284 special teams snaps during 2022.
That’s the type of role Graham could earn this season in Pittsburgh. At Morgan State, he returned 17 kickoffs for 359 yards.
Graham will compete with Anthony McFarland, Jason Huntley and Master Teague for a roster spot.
McFarland received more playing time on offense than Snell did last season, but he didn’t play at all on special teams. McFarland recorded 41 yards from scrimmage on 8 touches.
Pittsburgh drafted McFarland at No. 124 overall in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Huntley spent most of last season on the Steelers practice squad. The Detroit Lions selected him at No. 172 overall in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft, but he never played for the Lions.
In two games with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2020-21, Huntley rushed for 70 yards and 18 carries and caught 1 pass.
Teague, who was an undrafted free agent last season, has never played in an NFL game.
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