Now that the 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers training camp has concluded, we’re recapping everything that went down over these past 16 practices. We’ll break down each play, position-by-position, with final winners and losers at the end. Our last position group – safety. Tomorrow, we’ll write the final winners and losers to put a bow on camp.
Safety
Mike Mitchell: Unfortunately, his camp was cut short. An hamstring/ankle injury – it was never made entirely clear to me – suffered on the first day of padded practice during seven shots and we never saw him in a jersey again. It’s entirely possible he missed the rest of the preseason. That’s unfortunate but at least he’s a vet in a more experienced secondary. Had he missed last year, it would’ve been a much bigger problem.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Sean Davis: Davis’ camp got off to a quiet start though it can be tough for safeties to regularly make noise. But he ended on a hot note, providing great run support, dishing out a couple of big hits, and making plays on throws in the end zone. Saved what was a milquetoast week-and-a-half. There’s still a lot he has to prove once the regular season begins but he’s off to a solid start.
Camp Grade: B
Robert Golden: Golden is still Golden. The best tackling safety on the team, maybe the best tackler period the Steelers have, whose run fits are always good and is rarely out of place. There should be no denying that. But he’s not much of a playmaker in coverage and I’m not sure if I can think of one play he made against the pass. He’s solid, not spectacular. Fine for depth, an issue when he’s pressed into a starting role.
Camp Grade: B-
Jordan Dangerfield: We aren’t counting the Atlanta Falcons in this grade but that was obviously a spectacular game for him, become the first Steeler since Anthony Smith in 2006 to record two picks in a preseason contest. Dangerfield continued to fly around against the run and be a standout special teamer. Mike Tomlin also pointed out he took on a leadership role, being more vocal on defense, and you could hear his voice stand out in practice.
Camp Grade: B
Jacob Hagen: A nice camp for Hagen, who would have to bring a chainsaw in order to carve out a roster spot initially but someone you are likely to see dress for the team around mid-season. If the team keeps four safeties on the 53 and someone goes down, Hagen will get the call-up and likely dress right away. He, similar to Davis, strung together a couple even more impressive practices, picking off one pass and breaking up several passes. Maybe he’s the new Dangerfield; the unknown who hung around and impressed enough to eventually earn his spot. He’s the Lewis Black of football – took him awhile to get noticed but when you do, you think, this guy has some talent.
Camp Grade: B+
Terrish Webb: I will say this about Webb. Watching him play at Pitt, I thought he had some really bad tape. So bad that I thought there was a chance he wouldn’t even make it to camp. But he did, didn’t miss a practice, and looked better than I thought. Good tackler in space, had to make a couple third-level tackles and filled the alley. Didn’t see much in coverage, and he still wasn’t that noteworthy,
Camp Grade: C
Malik Golden: Golden was quickly ushered in to replaced the retired Daimion Stafford. Golden tested as a plus athlete out of Penn State and it showed during camp. Definitely a better athlete than Webb with better ball skills. He’s also arguably just as good a tackler with much more range, vertically and sideline to sideline. If it wasn’t for Hagen, Golden might have had a shot at the practice squad.
Camp Grade: C+
