Just one year ago, the safety position within the AFC North featured a number of star players.
Due to free agency and some trades, that has changed quite drastically at the position.
Though some star-level talent still remains, the safety position has fallen off some in the rugged AFC North. Still, it makes for a rather difficult job trying to rank the safety position within the AFC North.
I did my best though. Let’s dive in.
1. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Having the best safety in football, let alone the AFC North, in Minkah Fitzpatrick certainly helps the Pittsburgh Steelers hold down the top spot in the division in these rankings.
Depth helps, too.
Even after losing Terrell Edmunds to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, the Steelers moved quickly to retain Damontae Kazee in free agency, giving the Steelers that versatile, physical safety who can line up all over, whether in coverage or playing downhill in the box. If he can stay healthy this season, he should pair very well with Fitzpatrick, allowing the Steelers star to move all over.
Fitzpatrick bounced back from an up-and-down 2021 season to earn a first-team All-Pro honor once again in 2022. He tied for the league lead in interceptions with six and helped the Steelers tie for the league lead as a team in interceptions as well. He was an impactful safety all over the field and really got back to that star level he displayed in previous seasons.
The Steelers added veteran safety Keanu Neal in free agency as well, giving them that hammer in the box they’ve been searching for. Though he’s largely a mess in coverage, one who teams exploit any chance they get, he’s really solid in the box and handles a pseudo-linebacker role quite well when on the field.
Behind the trio of Fitzpatrick, Kazee and Neal, the Steelers are in decent shape. Miles Killebrew looks to be that special teams ace for the Steelers once again. He’s as steady as they come on special teams and is a valuable asset for coordinator Danny Smith. Elijah Riley got some run late last season due to injury and certainly caught the eye of Teryl Austin and Grady Brown and had a strong spring. He could compete for some reps in the slot, too.
Kenny Robinson is looking to grab a practice squad role with his hometown team, while Tre Norwood is looking to bounce back from a disastrous 2022 season. He is still a versatile piece that the Steelers could really use, but his tackling woes last season are rather concerning.
2. BALTIMORE RAVENS
The Baltimore Ravens traded away Chuck Clark in the offseason, getting rid of arguably the heart and soul of their defense, but the Ravens felt comfortable moving on due to the pieces already in place in Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton.
Williams had a good first season in Baltimore after coming over from New Orleans in free agency. He recorded a 73.9 PFF grade and added four interceptions, tying his career high. He can move all over for Baltimore and is a great tackler in space.
Hamilton, who was a first-round pick last year, got off to a slow start but really found his game late in the season. Hamilton can play all over the formation for the Ravens, which gives defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald a real chess piece to work with. Though he had poor testing numbers, Hamilton is a true football player, one who finds a way to succeed at a high level time and time again. He was one of the highest-graded safeties in football last season, per Pro Football Focus, at 82.3.
The future is extremely bright for Hamilton.
The Ravens are in a bit of a transition behind Williams and Hamilton.
Ar’Darius Washington and Geno Stone are the next players up on the depth chart at safety. Washington is limited overall as an athlete but could be used in the box a bit moving forward. Stone is a strong special teams player and had some good tape at Iowa in his college career. He hasn’t quite gotten a chance defensively in the NFL and might be more of a box safety as well.
Baltimore could give players like Brandon Stephens and Daryl Worley some reps at safety when not in a cornerback role, but that will have to play out some in training camp. Stephens has the size at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds and played some safety in college.
3. CLEVELAND BROWNS
Even after releasing veteran safety John Johnson III, the Cleveland Browns are in a good spot at the position overall.
Former second-round pick Grant Delpit took a significant step forward last season, turning in a career-high 63.6 grade from PFF. He finished with a team-high 105 tackles and a career-high four interceptions, handling some box duties quite well, while also flipping back and forth from the free safety role.
Assuming good health, he’s only going to get better and better and could reach the level he played at for LSU in college.
Cleveland signed veteran Juan Thornhill in free agency, giving the Browns a significant upgrade in the secondary. He can play all over and really was a key piece for the Chiefs during their Super Bowl run. He can handle box or centerfield roles and can even play in the slot or handle cornerback in a pinch.
The Browns also added veteran Rodney McLeod to shore up depth and added undrafted safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. out of Ohio State, which was quite the steal for an undrafted piece. Young safeties Tanner McCalister, Bubba Bolden and D’Anthony Bell will battle for a practice squad spot moving forward.
4. CINCINNATI BENGALS
After losing star safety Jessie Bates III to Atlanta in free agency, and steady veteran Vonn Bell to Carolina, the Cincinnati Bengals’ safety room takes a tumble down the board.
Granted, Cincinnati was prepared for the losses thanks to some strong drafts in recent years, but young pieces at the position are unknown.
Cincinnati turns to Dax Hill and veteran Nick Scott at the position as the presumed starters. Hill is that versatile piece who will be able to move all around Lou Anarumo’s defense. He can play centerfield, slot corner and can serve as a box safety in a pinch. Scott is ideal box safety for Cincinnati. He comes over from the Los Angeles Rams after four seasons and should be able to hold down the strong safety starting job like Bell did for a few years.
Depth is certainly intriguing in Cincinnati, but there are a lot of unknowns. Tycen Anderson remains a guy to watch due to his athleticism, versatility and special teams prowess. He was a draft favorite coming out of Toledo but hasn’t quite put it together yet. Cincinnati drafted Alabama’s Jordan Battle in the second round this year and he’s eventually going to surpass Scott as the starter at strong safety.
He has the makings of a dependable 10-year veteran and is always in the right spot. Michael Thomas is the special teams ace and a key leader for Cincinnati. Larry Brooks was signed as a UDFA out of Tulane and certainly has some intriguing to him. He was a tackling machine for the Green Wave and consistently made plays. Keep an eye on him.
2021 AFC North S rankings:
No. 1 – Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 2 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 3 – Cincinnati Bengals
No. 4 – Cleveland Browns
