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The Pittsburgh Steelers will reportedly sign free agent defensive back Kevin White Jr. to the active roster, according to White Jr.'s agent, Blake Baratz.
Congrats to you sir! #steelers https://t.co/Uo7XV9QuQv
— Blake Baratz (@blakebaratz) August 2, 2016
White Jr. appeared to confirm the signing on his Instagram account late Tuesday evening.
White Jr.'s signing comes after Steelers CB Senquez Golson suffered a foot injury during team drills on Monday. Multiple sources, including ESPN, are reporting that the second-year defensive back suffered a Lisfranc injury, which could ultimately sideline Golson for up to four months, if not longer.
Golson, who had been taking the majority of first-team reps in 11-on-11 drills as the primary slot cornerback, was expected to play a major role in Pittsburgh's young, patchwork secondary this season. The former second-round pick earned All-American honors in his final season at the University of Mississippi after intercepting an SEC-leading 10 passes.
The Steelers will now be forced to make a roster move in order to accommodate the newly-signed White Jr.
White Jr., who was a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2014, helped bolster a Texas Christian University pass defense that was among the best in the nation. White Jr. started 40 games in his college career for the Horned Frogs, tallying six interceptions and three forced fumbles in the process.
White Jr. was expected to be a late-round draft pick in the 2014 draft, but a subpar 40-yard dash (4.63 seconds) caused him to fall out of the draft entirely. After the draft, the Atlanta Falcons signed White Jr. to a contract, though he did not make the 53-man roster.
Overall, White Jr. has the ball skills and size (5-foot-9, 185 pounds) to excel as a slot cornerback. However, his short arms and lackluster speed could make him a bit of a liability in coverage. The Steelers currently have seven cornerbacks, including Golson, on the active roster, so White Jr. will certainly have his work cut out for him.