Steelers Sign Productive Undrafted Free Agent Edge Rusher

The Pittsburgh Steelers will sign former Fresno State edge rusher David Perales, he announced on Twitter on Saturday after the NFL Draft.

Perales is one of the more productive undrafted free agents that the Steelers could have signed at the position. In 2022, Perales racked up 11.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss over 14 games with the Bulldogs. Extrapolated throughout his career, he racked up 23 sacks and 38 tackles for loss across three seasons with Fresno State.

Perales joins a group of undrafted free agents that includes Tanner Morgan, Jordan Byrd, B.T. Potter, and others as the list continues to grow. The team added Nate Herbig to the edge room, but Perales seems to have a knack for forcing turnovers on top of everything. He forced nine fumbles over his three years with Fresno State. That is an eye-popping number that is not a coincidence, that is a skill.

So, what does Perales end up becoming? We’ll see, but for someone with his production profile, the buzz seems awfully underwhelming and it’s hard to pinpoint why exactly. The 6-foot-3 Perales did not test all that well, running a 5 flat at his pro day, but the tape has something on it that is intriguing. We’ll see if Perales could be a guy that potentially emerges as an undrafted free agent sleeper.