The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for being one of the most stable franchises in the NFL, with continuity at head coach, and minimal mistakes in critical areas of the game like special teams. 

So when the team took a seventh-round flyer on punter Pressley Harvin III out of Georgia Tech in 2021, some pondered their reasoning, even if it was a late-day three pick. 

Following the latest news to come out of Pittsburgh, the Steelers may have just admitted that selection was a mistake. 

Per Field Yates, of ESPN, the Steelers have signed former Jets punter Braden Mann off of waivers. 

The Steelers have claimed P Braden Mann off of waivers from the Jets.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 14, 2023

Mann was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Jets, where he played the past three seasons for New York. 

Mann is coming off a full slate of games, playing in all 17 contests and recording career highs in yards per punt, touchbacks, and punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. 

It seemed that Mann was on the outs when the Jets wanted to upgrade the position themselves, signing veteran Thomas Morstead in free agency. 

The Jets are waiving P Braden Mann, per @AdamSchefter. They tried to trade him, but found no takers. His ouster was inevitable when they signed Thomas Morstead, who received a $1.1M guarantee on a one-year deal. #Jets

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) April 13, 2023

Now the question turns to what's next for Pressley Harvin?

Still only 24 years old, Harvin is young and capable of being an NFL punter, but he has struggled thus far in his first two years as the full-time punter for the Steelers. 

Incumbent Pressley Harvin III won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top college punter but has been inconsistent as a pro.

At a minimum, this sets the stage for a camp competition. Or maybe Harvin will be released before then. https://t.co/Qa2JDMCsE5

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) April 14, 2023

And perhaps that is the case, the steelers may still believe in Harvin, but they want to add a little competition, to see if they can push him to live up to the hype he generated coming out of college. 

But when comparing the two, it's clear that Mann has the edge thus far, as both are in the early stages of their career. 

Gross punting average over the last two years.

2021:

Braden Mann – 45.7
Pressley Harvin III – 42.6

2022:

Braden Mann – 46.9
Pressley Harvin III – 44.5

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) April 14, 2023

Regardless, even if Harvin is beat out by Mann or doesn't make it to camp altogether, it just goes to show, that no matter how successful a player was in college, the transition to the NFL is never easy. 

A 7th-round pick is a very low cost to pay, but this situation could be a thorn in the Steelers side when they think about drafting special teamers in the years to come.