Moving along with part 59 of our 90(ish?)-part series — assuming the roster does not change even more before we are complete — which will break down each player of the Steelers current 90-man (or 80-man perhaps?) 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.

Let’s take a look at rookie guard:

Christian Montano

Position: G
Height: 6’ 4”
Weight: 300 lbs
College: Tulane
Draft: UDFA in 2020

2019 stats (NCAA)

13 Games played
13 Games started

Contract remaining

Expires in 2023
$610,833 salary cap number (0.30% of total cap)
$833 Dead money
$610,000 Savings if cut

Likelihood of making the roster

53-man roster next to none, practice squad is a high option.

Christian Montano is in a really tough position on the Steelers roster. He’s basically in an open try out to land a job on some teams practice roster, however with no preseason games being all but confirmed, he won't get any game reps to prove himself worthy for one of the jobs. He basically has to prove to the Steelers staff that he belongs in the NFL and that the Steelers need to keep him around .

2020 projection

Montano basically needs a miracle to make the initial 53 at the guard spot. David DeCastro, Matt Feiler, Stefen Wisniewski, and Kevin Dotson are virtual locks to make this roster meaning Montano is fighting for a practice squad job in Pittsburgh.

Projected stats:

N/A — Practice squad

Summary

Montano has walked an interesting path in order to make it to the NFL, he is a Brown university graduate, and a bowl winning starter at Tulane. He will continue to walk that path as he will likely have a red shirt year within the NFL’s practice squad system, before a chance at making a team full time in 2021. Time will tell whether Montano will land on the Steelers practice squad or get snagged by another team.

Previously Highlighted

Ola Adeniyi
Marcus Allen
Tyson Alualu
Trajan Bandy
Zach Banner
J.T. Barrett
John Battle
Jordan Berry
Saeed Blacknall
Breon Borders
Chris Boswell
Antoine Brooks Jr.
Isaiah Buggs
Devin Bush
Deon Cain
Kam Canaday
Chase Claypool
Josiah Coatney
James Conner
Anthony Coyle
Jordan Dangerfield
Amara Darboh
Carlos Davis
David DeCastro
Christian DiLauro
Kevin Dotson
Bud Dupree
Eric Ebron
Terrell Edmunds
Trey Edmunds
Matt Feiler
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Zach Gentry
Ulysees Gilbert III
Derwin Gray
Joe Haden
J.C. Hassenauer
Quadree Henderson
Dewayne Hendrix
Cam Heyward
Alex Highsmith
Mike Hilton
Devlin Hodges
John Houston
Anthony Johnson
Diontae Johnson
Jarron Jones
John Keenoy
Tyree Kinnel
Christian Kuntz
Justin Layne
Leo Lewis
James Lockhart
Paxton Lynch
Dan McCullers
Vance McDonald
Anthony McFarland Jr.
Henry Mondeaux