Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

WR DEZ FITZPATRICK

Experience/age: Six regular-season NFL games over the past three years, 26

Contract status: $985,000 cap hit if he makes the team in 2024

The past: Beginning as an honorable mention all-ACC performer with nine touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2017 – he was catching passes from a reigning Heisman Trophy winner by the name of Lamar Jackson – Fitzpatrick had a productive college career at Louisville. He totaled 21 touchdowns in 49 games and averaged 18.8 yards per reception over his final two seasons for the Cardinals. That led to the Tennessee Titans taking the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Fitzpatrick with a fourth-round pick (three spots ahead of future All Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown) in 2021. Over two seasons with the Titans, Fitzpatrick appeared in only five regular-season games. He played 104 snaps on offense and nine on special teams over that span, catching five of eight passes thrown his way – including an 18-yard touchdown catch from Ryan Tannehill during a November game in his rookie season.

But after Fitzpatrick spent the entirety of the following season on the Tennessee practice squad, he quickly signed a reserve/future deal with the Steelers the ensuing January. He’s stuck with the organization since. Although Fitzpatrick did not make the active roster out of camp last year, he was signed to the practice squad. An 18-day ascension to the 53-man roster early in the regular season provided his only regular-season playing time for the Steelers (three special-teams snaps in an Oct. 1 loss in Houston). Fitzpatrick rejoined the practice squad after clearing waivers and quickly re-signed a reserve/future contract after last season ended.

2024 outlook: Much has been made of the Steelers’ muddled situation on the wide receiver depth chart after presumed No. 1 George Pickens. As things stand now, only Van Jefferson and rookie third-round pick Roman Wilson are also guaranteed roster spots – though while each is in the running to be the unofficial designated “WR2,” neither is assured such status.

Aside from them, the Steelers added veteran UFA options in Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller, but Fitzpatrick fits in to a lower-profile category with Marquez Callaway as reserve/future options with a degree of pedigree and NFL experience.

Fitzpatrick showed big-play ability in college, has good size and possesses requisite speed. Steelers management clearly has some level of affinity for him, and he’s a well-liked presence in the locker room. Few are more outgoing and gregarious.

That should only help Fitzpatrick stick around in some capacity. And assuming the Steelers don’t make any high-end acquisitions for the WR corps in the coming months, Fitzpatrick has a shot to crack their five- or six-man position group on the active roster for the regular season.

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