Steelers Now
Undrafted free agent wide receiver Roc Taylor is ready to fight for a roster spot after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded George Pickens.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear hole at wide receiver after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last week. Many believe they will eventually land his replacement in free agency or via a trade, but one rookie already on the roster is ready to prove that it can be him.
Undrafted free agent wide receiver Roc Taylor is more motivated than ever with a roster spot up for grabs.
“Oh yeah, most definitely,” Taylor said. “It’s most definitely motivation for me to keep going, work hard, just do what I can do and control what I can control.”
Taylor expects to mostly play as an X receiver, the same as Pickens, at 6-foot-2, 213 pounds. He has the production to back it up, too.
Over the past two years at Memphis, Taylor has recorded 135 catches for 2,033 yards and six touchdowns.
However, Taylor knows he still as a lot to prove before being handed Pickens’ old job. He must first prove he’s even deserving of a spot on the 53-man roster this summer. That’s why he’s just taking things a day at a time.
“Just enjoying the process right now,” he said. “Trying to get comfortable with the playbook and feel out the standard of the building.”
Luckily for Taylor, there are a couple of familiar faces in Pittsburgh’s locker room that can help him along. He is reuniting with former Memphis running back Kenneth Gainwell and wide receiver Calvin Austin III.
Taylor will surely lean on both players to help his transition to the next level because he knows all he needs is a chance, which is exactly what the Steelers have given him.
“I just take advantage of any opportunity that I get, whether drafted or undrafted,” Taylor said. “Either way, it’s still the same. I’m here just like everybody else.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: UDFA Sees Great Opportunity with Steelers after George Pickens Trade: ‘It’s Most Definitely Motivation’
