Steelers A to Z: Tight end JJ Galbreath an undrafted rookie to keep an eye on

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to 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 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

TE JJ GALBREATH

Experience/age: Rookie, 23

Contract status: $846,666 cap hit if he makes the team in 2025

The past: Galbreath played four seasons at FCS South Dakota as a receiving-first tight end. Listed now at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, the reported 40-yard dash time of 4.61 seconds that Galbreath ran at his pro day would have been the fastest of any tight end who attended the NFL combine. Galbreath had 93 catches for 1,355 yards and 12 touchdowns in 45 college games. He was an AP FCS All-American in 2024, a season he capped with a pair of six-catch games and two combined touchdowns during NCAA playoff games this past December.

The Steelers targeted Galbreath after the draft ended in April, giving him a $20,000 bonus as an undrafted free agent.

JJ GALBREATH GOES ???? FOR HIS FIRST CAREER TD????#WeAreSouthDakota x #GoYotes???? pic.twitter.com/gt0HHfgZiX

— South Dakota Football (@SDCoyotesFB) October 16, 2021

2025 outlook: Galbreath had the good fortune of joining a team that has an offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith who isn’t afraid to use myriad tight ends in various combinations. Galbreath’s luck continued via the misfortune of a season-ending injury in June to veteran free-agent signee Donald Parham, who was projected as the Steelers’ TE3.

As things stand now, only starter Pat Freiermuth, massive blocker Darnell Washington and tight end/H-back/fullback Connor Heyward join Galbreath on the Steelers’ tight ends depth chart — and it is a virtual guarantee that the Steelers will roster four tight ends when the regular season begins. It’s not that simple, though, of course for Galbreath — the team has investigated the availability of veteran tight ends via trade or late-summer signing. Galbreath also has to prove he is NFL-capable.

The early summer returns in that realm were positive. Galbreath looks the part — inasmuch as nonpadded practices can tell. That always will be Galbreath’s strength as a tight end — the receiving. He was deployed almost as a hybrid wide receiver or slot man while at South Dakota. Is his blocking the caliber that the Steelers can trust him? That might help determine if Galbreath has a chance at the 53-man roster. He looks, at worst, like a perfect candidate for the practice squad.