The Steelers made an early free agent addition on Feb. 21, with the team announcing it has signed tight end Donald Parham Jr. to a one-year deal.
The contract value has yet to be announced.
Parham spent 2024 on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. He spent four seasons before that with the Los Angeles Chargers, with his best year coming in 2023 with 27 catches for 285 yards and four touchdowns.
The 27-year-old started his career as an undrafted free agent in 2019, later making a name for himself as a member of the Arlington Renegades of the XFL in 2020.
At 6’8, 237 pounds, Parham adds some more height to a Steelers tight end room that already contains Darnell Washington. However, Parham’s fairly slim build for a tight end often had him operating as more of a jumbo-sized receiver.
Parham has 47 career NFL games under his belt with 23 starts. Although he isn’t a premier talent at the position at this point in his career, his addition could mean Pittsburgh won’t be re-signing tight end MyCole Pruitt, who played 271 offensive snaps last year and is scheduled to hit free agency.
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Scouting one of the top running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.
TreVeyon Henderson has had a meteoric rise up draft boards lately, and the Steelers need a running back. Is Henderson a potential fit with the black and gold?
If the Steelers are looking to add more speed to their running back room in the upcoming draft, the premier talent to target will be Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson.
His acceleration is fantastic and he has the speed to race by linebackers in the open field.
Henderson also has the speed to bounce runs outside and he’s lethal when defenders are flat-footed. If Arthur Smith is going to keep the toss plays in the Steelers’ playbook, Henderson would be the running back to try them with.
While Henderson’s burst is special, I do have some doubts about his overall profile. His vision and contact balance were good but not particularly special, and while he had some good moves in the games I watched, he’s not the human joystick some have made him out to be. I think he’s a good prospect; I don’t get the first-round hype.
Power and durability are also concerns. Henderson struggled with foot injuries in 2022 and 2023 and largely functioned in a running back committee when healthy (only 144 carries last season). He likely isn’t an every-down runner in the NFL. It’s far from a massive weakness, but despite his average size, Henderson simply isn’t a pile-mover.
Here he is getting stopped one-handed by Michigan’s Mason Graham.
However, he still has the quickness to dart into holes and build some momentum. He’s certainly capable of succeeding in between the tackles if there’s a crease.
Still, don’t confuse Henderson’s lack of great power with a lack of physicality. He’s an incredibly willing pass protector entering the NFL, and he’s shown off his talents as a lead blocker as well. These are the type of plays that will earn him playing time and a fan-favorite status early on:
As a receiver, Henderson didn’t see as much downfield usage as you’d hope at Ohio State, but there’s a ton of potential there. As a dump-off option, he was consistently capable of making huge plays.
Overall, Henderson fits the bill as a second-round running back who will probably go early on Day 2 to a team that’s enamored with his big-play potential. He certainly has the abilities to develop into a star at the NFL level, but his game isn’t as complete as you’d hope for an early-round running back.
Strengths
Elite burst; great speed
Polished, extremely physical pass protector
Above average receiver for the position with some untapped potential
Weaknesses
Not an every-down running back at Ohio State
Below average power
Not quite as shifty as you’d hope for a blue chip running back prospect
Henderson is capable of starring on third downs or biting off a bigger chunk as a three-down option. He has average size but above-average juice with good acceleration. He’s an average decision-maker inside and is not overly creative once confronted by the defense, but he has the pacing and subtle shiftiness to excel as an outside runner. He might be the best pass-protecting running back in this draft and is more than capable as a pass-catcher. Henderson isn’t Jahmyr Gibbs, but he can operate in a similar role for teams looking to add a more dynamic player to their running back room.
After his great freshman season, Henderson struggled to stay healthy as Ohio State’s RB1. That may limit his chances of being a bell cow in the NFL. Being in a nice rotation will keep him healthy throughout the season. … Henderson is a proven playmaker as a runner and receiver—dump-offs and screens, preferably. If an NFL team uses a committee, Henderson can handle the RB1 or lead-back role, but he will realistically be a change-of-pace runner who brings explosive playmaking ability to the offense. … GRADE: 7.4 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round). … PRO COMPARISON: Chase Brown
Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson is a productive, well-rounded runner who should offer some level of appeal to most offensive systems. Henderson offers vision, sharp-cut ability, and home run-hitting ability in a compact frame, and his passing down profile is that of an NFL contributor quickly upon his entry into the league. … Henderson offers universal scheme appeal, but his vision and quick feet will play quite well in a zone-heavy rushing system. There, he can make reactive cuts and set up second-level defenders to create creases to attack in the running game.
Henderson’s speed and burst, as well as his receiving potential, make him a great fit in a modern zone offense. Frankly, he can make plays in most schemes. If the Steelers end up with him in the second round, it would be hard to be mad.
However, Henderson doesn’t have great power and his creativity and durability come with questions. Behind the Steelers’ often-struggling offensive line, Henderson may not be an immediate game-changer. And while his speed is certainly on a different level, his overall profile reads a lot like current Steeler Jaylen Warren. Henderson would be an upgrade, but Pittsburgh would still need a bigger running back who can get the tough yardage. Selecting Henderson might not be the slam-dunk pick it seems, but I think he’ll be off the board before the Steelers have to make a decision in the second round.
TL;DR: Henderson is an exciting, speedy talent at running back who still needs to prove he can handle an every-down role. He won’t move the pile, but he offers some versatility as a pass protector and receiver out of the backfield.
What are your thoughts on Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!
