**Player: WR Ke’Shawn Williams**
**Stock Value: Up**
**Reasoning:** _Undrafted rookie WR Ke’Shawn Williams made the most of his opportunity in the Steelers’ first preseason game. Though he caught only two passes, they traversed 55 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown. He also looked threatening as a punt returner, especially on the one return negated by a penalty._
Ke’Shawn Williams has long odds to make the Steelers’ 53-man roster, but he brought himself a little closer Saturday night. Undrafted out of Indiana by way of Wake Forest, he is a guy who wasn’t really even on our radar before the draft. And considering nobody drafted him, that kind of makes sense. He didn’t have a prolific college career, but after the Steelers’ first preseason game, people might know his name now.
Don’t mistake me for painting this to be some Victor Cruz moment, and indeed, Williams wasn’t even the only Steelers rookie wide receiver who stood out. Roc Taylor and Max Hurleman, the latter nominally a running back, also seized their moments.
But Ke’Shawn Williams arguably stood tallest, and he also has the most diverse skill set as a returner. Although he only made two catches, he also only drew two targets. The first he caught for 29 yards, the second for 26 and in the end zone.
Along the way, Williams also served as the Steelers’ punt returner. Officially, he returned two for 17 yards, averaging 8.5 per return. But he also had a nifty 27-yard return wiped out by a holding penalty on Cameron McCutcheon.
Although the Steelers have decisions to make at the end of the wide receiver depth chart, Ke’Shawn Williams is still not well-positioned to force himself into that mix. I think he’s a prime candidate to stick on the practice squad, though, at worst. And if Calvin Austin III were to suffer an injury, they would probably call him up to take over on punt returns.
_With training camp underway and the Steelers exploring their new roster, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that_ [_change the team talked about_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/steelers-make-their-coaching-changes-they-still-manage-to-disappoint/) _after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant._
_As we speak, we are in the process of learning what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and_ [_the 2025 NFL Draft_](https://www.nfl.com/draft/), and now we’re in camp_. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?_