Former Steelers Al-Hajj Shabazz, Weslye Saunders Enter XFL Draft

Former Steelers Weslye Saunders, Al-Hajj Shabazz and Jack Tocho are among the first group of players to declare for the 2019 XFL Draft, the league announced on Monday.

The draft will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and Wednesday, Oct. 16 and will result in 71-man roster being selected for each of the eight teams.

Tocho, a defensive back, spent a part of the 2019 offseason with the Steelers after playing in the AAF this spring with the Birmingham Iron.

Saunders, a tight end, signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina. He played in parts of two seasons with the Steelers, but was released after a failed drug test caused him to be suspended for the first four games of the 2012 season.

Saunders played 16 games in Pittsburgh, made four catches for 29 yards and scored a touchdown.

Since then, Saunders spent some time with the Indianapolis Colts and also played in the AAF with Birmingham.

Shabazz, a cornerback, spent the 2016 bouncing between the Steelers active roster and practice squad. He hasn’t played since being injured while with the Baltimore Ravens in 2017.

The league is expected to make more announcements this week, with around 1,000 players in total to be in the draft pool.