The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted six players for tryouts on Tuesday, according to the NFL transaction sheet. Five of those are defensive backs, and the sixth is a hybrid TE/FB that could be an intriguing developmental piece for the offense.

The players hosted were DB Zy Alexander, DB Evan Holm, DB Makari Paige, DB Doneiko Slaughter, DB J.T. Woods, and FB/TE Jaheim Bell.

Bell was drafted in the seventh round by the New England Patriots out of Florida State University. He played a little bit of everything for them, including fullback, tight end, h-back, and a variety of other alignments. Pittsburgh met with him formally at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in a year when Arthur Smith was joining the team. His connection as a possible fullback and gadget player seemed logical at the time, so maybe they have a similar vision for the future with this visit.

He measured in at the combine at 6020, 241 pounds, and ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash and a 35-inch vertical. Check out our full draft profile on Bell from before the 2024 draft.

Alexander went undrafted in 2025 and initially signed with the Seattle Seahawks. He was released shortly before training camp and, in August, landed with the Buffalo Bills for about a week. He’s been searching for work ever since. Coming out of LSU, Alexander measured in at 6013, 187 pounds with a 4.56-second 40-yard dash. He was thought to be a draftable talent, but slipped through the cracks. Check out our full draft profile on Alexander from earlier this year.

Holm played in the CFL with the Winnipeg Jets after going undrafted out of North Dakota. He measured in at 5111, 181 pounds at this Pro Day and ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash with an impressive 37-inch vertical.

Paige went undrafted in 2025 and signed with the New York Giants until getting cut at roster cutdowns in August. He’s been a free agent ever since. Coming out of Michigan, he measured in at 6030, 197 pounds at his Pro Day. He ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash with 15 reps on the bench press and a 32 1/2-inch vertical.

Slaughter went undrafted and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025 out of Arkansas. He didn’t survive roster cutdowns at the end of training camp. He measured in at 5112, 195 pounds during his Pro Day and ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash with 17 reps on the bench press and an impressive 36-inch vertical.

Woods was a third-round pick in 2022 by the Los Angeles Chargers and remained there for two years before being waived in 2024. He has since been with the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Jets, most recently getting released from the Jets’ practice squad in November.

Appearing in 13 games with one career start, the 6-2, 195-pound safety has registered eight total tackles, 91 total defensive snaps and 89 special teams snaps in his career.

This time of year, with possibly just a few days remaining in the season, the Steelers are looking to fill out their squad with future contracts for the 90-man offseason roster. Don’t be surprised to see a few of these names on that list eventually.