Steelers Host 5 Defensive Backs for Tryouts

The Steelers hosted five defensive backs for tryouts on Thursday, according to the NFL transaction wire. Those players were Ben DeLuca, Jalen Elliott, Joshua Kalu, John Reid, and Jace Whittaker.

Kalu, 27, has played in the NFL since 2018 after coming out of Nebraska. During those years, he made the Titans roster as an undrafted safety in 2018 and stayed with the team through the 2020 season. After, he would join the New York Giants in 2021 but only stayed there for a year. Kalu rejoined the Titans in 2022. However, he became a free agent after that and has yet to find a home since.

Reid is a cornerback out of Penn State. He was a fourth-round pick in 2020 by the Houston Texans, but bounced out to the Seattle Seahawks shortly after that. Reid was last on the Minnesota Vikings but has been with five different teams over his career. He has 30 tackles and 3 pass deflections in his career.

Elliott is a safety out of Notre Dame. Only 25, he was an undrafted free agent in the class of 2020. He found time with the Detroit Lions and then spent last year with both the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders. Elliott has 12 total tackles in his NFL career.

DeLuca came out of Charlotte in 2021, but spent the last season with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL. He only played in 3 NFL games with the Los Angeles Chargers before heading to the XFL. DeLuca was placed on their reserve list in March and was drafted by the team.

Whittaker signed with the Cardinals out of the 2020 NFL Draft as an undrafted free agent. He played in nine games during his time in Arizona, including 3 games in 2022. He started one game early in 2022 against the Los Angeles Rams and recorded a pass deflection in that game. The Steelers hosted him for a workout in the season.