Steelers OLB Drafted to the CFL

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Charlotte 49ers defensive end Julius Welschof as an undrafted free agent after last week’s NFL Draft, but he has another opportunity on the horizon, too. He was selected as the 13th overall pick in the Canadian Football League by the Calgary Stampeders.

Welschof is a 6-foot-6 5/8, 257-pound edge rusher that likely profiles as an outside linebacker in the Steelers’ 3-4 scheme. A native of Miesbach, Germany, Welschof qualifies for the NFL’s international roster exemption, which means the team will have 91 players in training camp and can sign 17 players to their practice squad if Welschof is one of them.

Welschof started his collegiate career at Michigan, where he played in 35 games over five seasons from 2018-22. He redshirted in 2018 and played in just one game in 2019 before playing in all six game in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.

In 2021, Welschof played in all 14 games and made his first start, while also becoming a regular contributor on special teams. He reprised that role as a rotational backup and special teamer in 2022. In three seasons as a regular contributor at Michigan, he recorded 23 tackles, one-half sack and one pass defended.

Welschof transferred to Charlotte in 2023, where he started four games before an injury cut his final collegiate season short.

In the pre-draft process, Welschof ran a 4.79-second 40-yard dash and posted a 4.4-second short shuttle, a 7.01-second three-cone drill, a 32.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-2 broad jump for an 8.94 Relative Athletic Score out of 10.

Welschof becomes the third former Charlotte player on the Steelers defensive front, along with tackle Larry Ogunjobi and outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. He was also a college teammate at Michigan of the team’s third-round pick, wide receiver Roman Wilson.

The Steelers did not add an edge rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft and have not replaced last season’s No. 3 at the position, free agent Markus Golden. Nick Herbig, Jeremiah Moon and Kyron Johnson represent the team’s depth at the position behind starters Highsmith and T.J. Watt.