Steelers Sign ‘Strong, Crafty’ Ex-Cowboys, Utes Defender

On Dec. 20, 2022, the Atlanta Falcons signed former Steelers linebacker David Anenih to their 53-man roster, creating an unexpected vacancy on Pittsburgh’s practice squad. A day later, the Steelers filled that opening with Mika Tafua, as per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network and the NFL’s daily personnel notice.

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Tafua: A College DE Who Projects as an OLB

Mika Tafua (pronounced me-kuh tah-foo-uh) is a rookie undrafted free agent who started his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys after a stellar four-year career at the University of Utah. The Hawaii native played 44 games (with 38 starts) for the Utes between 2018-21, during which time he recorded 133 tackles (73 solo), including 32 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks and nine passes defensed, not to mention three forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. His best season came in 2021, when he contributed 9.5 sacks on the way to AP first-team All-Pac 12 honors.

That said, Tafua went undrafted this past spring, despite the fact that at least one draft analyst — Lamarr Fields of SI.com — rated him as a potential third- or fourth-round pick. Bleacher Report’s scouting department was less enthusiastic, calling him a “strong, crafty defensive end prospect whose ceiling is limited by an uninspiring athletic profile.”

Most observers see Tafua as a better run defender than pass rusher, including Bleacher Report (BR), which observes that he is “effective setting the edge” and has “good hands versus the run.” He also has “moments of great upper-body strength and knocks blockers back from time to time,” according to BR.

As for his pro journey, Tafua was signed by the Cowboys on the last day of April 2022 and had a strong training camp and preseason.

“Mika has definitely stood out. If you just look at pure workload, energy, production, he’s been at the top of the charts every day. I love his energy. I love his physicality,” said Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy during training camp, as per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

And while Tafua didn’t do enough to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster, Dallas immediately moved to sign him to the practice squad, where he remained for most of this season.

Now Tafua has to show enough promise to warrant a reserve/futures contract with the Steelers for 2023. But he’ll have to do so while making a position change, as at 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds he’ll play outside linebacker in Pittsburgh’s defense. It’s a switch that many Steelers defenders have made in the past, but a successful transition typically occurs over the course of more than one season.

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Punter Brock Miller Gets Another NFL Tryout

Also on Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings had left-footed punter Brock Miller in for a tryout, as highlighted by the aforementioned Aaron Wilson.

It’s notable because the 31-year-old has never appeared in an NFL game, though he did spend time with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.

Nevertheless, Miller regularly works out for NFL teams, dutifully showing up to help punt returners get accustomed to catching punts from a lefty. This week he’s assisting the Vikings, who are preparing to host the New York Giants, who employ left-footed punter Jamie Gillan.

For their part, the Steelers have hosted Miller twice this season, once before the season-opener at Cincinnati and again prior to the rematch against the Bengals.

That said, if Miller ever gets signed by an NFL team and appears in a game, it will be a great human-interest story.

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