6th-rounder Isaiah Buggs becomes 1st Steelers draft pick to sign
The first of nine players the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted last month is under contract.
Defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs agreed to a standard four-year rookie contract, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. The 6-3, 295-pound Buggs led national runner-up Alabama in sacks last season with 9½.
The 192nd overall pick taken with the second of the Steelers’ three sixth-round choices, Buggs was recruited to the Crimson Tide out of junior college in part by Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, who previously held the same job at Alabama.
Buggs is expected to compete for a spot to be the fifth or sixth defensive lineman in the Steelers’ rotation this season.
We have signed DE Isaiah Buggs to a four-year deal.@BordasLaw TRANSACTION: https://t.co/HW0u5KE9XO pic.twitter.com/pE5MdCWBBa
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) May 7, 2019
Though terms were not disclosed, rookie contracts are virtually predetermined via a slotting system.
Steelers rookie minicamp is this weekend at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Players do not need to be signed to participate.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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