Part four of our 90-part series— yes, 90 parts, assuming the roster does not change before we are complete— will break down each player of the Steelers current 90-man roster in alphabetical order. This series will encompass many aspects of each players game and their current role with the team. At the end, I’ll give some projected stats as well as their chances to make the 53-man roster.

Next up is our first player from the 2020 UDFA class:

Trajan Bandy

Position: CB
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 186 lbs
College: Miami
Draft: Undrafted in 2020

2019 stats (w/ Miami)

28 Tackles
8 Passes defended
3 Sacks
1 Forced Fumble
0 Interceptions

Contract remaining

Expires in 2022

$613,000 salary cap number (0.3% of total cap)
$9,000 dead money
$604,000 cap savings if cut pre-June 1
$610,000 cap savings if cut post June 1

Likelihood of making the roster

Surprisingly possible. Making the 53-man roster as a UDFA is supposed to be nearly impossible, but Bandy finds himself in a prime position to win himself a job. There is space available on the Steelers current cornerback depth chart, and if Bandy can prove to be a viable gunner on special teams, he could be in the line up Week 1. Take a look at the names above Bandy on the CB depth chart:
Joe Haden
Steven Nelson
Mike Hilton
Cameron Sutton
Justin Layne
Breon Borders

Keep in mind the Steelers dressed 6 corners opening day vs New England a year ago. So if these are the names ahead of him he would only have to beat out journeyman Breon Borders for a roster spot. There Is another hypothetical in which Cam Sutton slides into the primary safety back up spot, in which case Bandy could make the team just based on numbers.

2020 projection

If Bandy makes this roster out of camp, I don't see any situation where he would be demoted back to the practice squad. Look for the Miami stand-out to feature quite heavily on special teams and appear in every game.

Projected stats:

16 games played
6 Tackles

Summary

Trajan Bandy is the most likely member of the UDFA’s to make the opening day roster. While his impact will be limited to special teams it will be interesting what he can provide in the future. Could he be vying for playing time against Justin Layne and Cam Sutton in training camp? Possibly. But for now I think Bandy is going to be one of the ‘surprise’ members of the final roster

Previously Highlighted

Ola Adeniyi
Marcus Allen
Tyson Alualu