Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have added to their receiver room, signing former University of Maryland standout Rakim Jarrett to their practice squad on Monday.
Mike Tomlin’s team released wideout Lance McCutcheon from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
Jarrett, a former 247Sports’ four-star recruit, ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Combine. He played in 20 games over two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting two. He caught 13 passes on 20 targets, racking up 184 yards and six first downs. He joined the Buccaneers after going undrafted in 2023.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter considered Jarrett the top receiver not to hear his name called during that draft, ahead of Arkansas’ Matt Landers, Fresno State’s Jalen Moreno-Cropper and West Virginia’s Bryce Ford-Wheaton.
Jarrett was 247Sports’ No. 12 receiver in the 2020 class. That group included Julian Fleming (No. 1), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 2) and Kayshon Boutte (No. 3). Jarrett, regarded as the best prospect in Washington, D.C., was initially committed to LSU, but flipped to join the nearby Terrapins.
Jarrett was a three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention while at Maryland. As a junior in 2022, he stabbed 40 passes for 471 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his career with the program with 119 receptions (11th-most in program history), 10 touchdown grabs (12th) and 1,552 receiving yards (13th).
“Jarrett is a slot receiver with an excellent build, plus speed and good athleticism, but he’s missing necessary ingredients to succeed at the position,” NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein said in a pre-draft scouting report. “It doesn’t take long to see the physical gifts on tape, but Jarrett’s lack of route-running fundamentals and ball skills catch up with him too often.
“His tape is filled with slants, digs and quick-game throws; he struggles to manipulate defenders with his routes and comes out on the wrong end when throws are contested. He’s a better athlete than receiver as he enters the draft, but he does have athletic tools for cultivation if a team can get it done.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Sign Blazing-Fast Free Agent WR
