Steelers Add Undrafted Receiver Wentz in Offseason Depth Shuffle

The Steelers completed a minor roster transaction Monday, signing undrafted wide receiver Levi Wentz while waiving punter Aidan Laros and linebacker Daylan Carnell. Wentz, who went unsigned following April's draft, spent this past college season at Kansas after previous stints at Old Dominion and Albany, catching 16 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns in his final collegiate year.

This pickup reflects Pittsburgh's ongoing construction of its receiver room during the offseason rebuild. The Steelers have been aggressive in assembling depth at the position—a necessary shift given recent roster churn. Wentz arrives on a crowded depth chart, but the team clearly sees enough in his tape to invest a roster spot during the final phase of the offseason. His three-school journey suggests a developmental trajectory rather than immediate impact, but the Jayhawks production—particularly two TDs in limited volume—indicates he can convert opportunities at the college level.

Laros, claimed off waivers from Tampa earlier this month, departs after a brief stint in Pittsburgh. His release leaves Cameron Johnston as the sole punter on the 90-man roster, a decision that either signals confidence in Johnston's lock status or suggests the Steelers plan to address the position in the coming weeks. Carnell, an undrafted linebacker who signed with Pittsburgh this offseason, does not project as part of the team's defensive future given the depth chart realities at his position.

From a betting perspective, Wentz's addition carries minimal short-term impact on Steelers receiving props. He enters as a 90-man roster body competing for practice squad eligibility—the gap between undrafted college tape and NFL output is vast, and a single 16-catch season at Kansas provides almost no predictive foundation for NFL performance. The real signal lies elsewhere: Pittsburgh's continued receiver acquisitioning suggests the team expects meaningful contributions from multiple pass catchers, likely funneling volume to established role players rather than depth experiments like Wentz. If the Steelers' starting receiver corps remains healthy through camp, Wentz will fade into irrelevance. Monitor instead whether established Steelers receivers see target-share bumps as camp concludes; Wentz's presence itself is background noise.

The punter situation warrants closer attention if Johnston carries injury risk into the season. A special teams upgrade mid-camp would signal the team lost confidence in his trajectory, potentially affecting field position assumptions baked into Steelers totals.