Steelers Rookie WR Changes Jersey Number

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roc Taylor is switching things up on the jersey number front before beginning the first training camp of his NFL career.

Taylor, who had previously worn No. 81 in the early goings of his tenure with the Steelers, will now switch to No. 89. Tight end Donald Parham Jr. originally held claim to the number, though it was up for grabs after he sustained a season-ending Achilles injury at OTAs and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.

There's a fair amount of hype surrounding Taylor as an undrafted free agent, which is in part due to the fact that Pittsburgh gave him a $30,000 signing bonus.

The Memphis product was nursing an injury during the early stages of the offseason program and was seen doing solo work during OTAs, though it appears he's healthy heading into training camp.

The Oxford, Ala., native initially committed to the Tennessee Volunteers, though after head coach Jeremy Pruitt was fired, he signed with Memphis as a member of its 2021 recruiting class.

Taylor closed out his true freshman campaign with eight catches for 117 yards before finishing the 2022 season with 225 yards and a touchdown on 20 receptions.

His most productive season for the Tigers came in 2023 as the program skated to a 10-3 record. Taylor led the team in receptions and yards with totals of 69 and 1,083, respectively, to go alongside four touchdowns in 13 games.

As a senior in 2024, he once again appeared in 13 contests while posting 950 yards and two scores on 66 catches as Memphis finished with an 11-2 record.

After drawing some attention at the Hula Bowl, Taylor attended the NFL Combine. While there, he ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash with a 1.53-second 10-yard shuttle, 30 1/2-inch vertical jump and 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump.

Taylor faces an uphill climb towards cracking the Steelers' 53-man roster heading into Week 1 while battling the likes of Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek for a spot, but perhaps he can draw inspiration from the fact that UDFA cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. accomplished that feat last year.