When you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster, there are several needs that stand out and not in a good way. The offensive line sticks out like a sore thumb with Pittsburgh needing to upgrade the center and right tackle positions. The cornerback room could use a makeover as well as CB Patrick Peterson has lost a step and Levi Wallace is an upcoming free agent.
However, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus turned his eyes to another area of the secondary that Pittsburgh should address this coming offseason in his recently published team needs tracker, pairing one upcoming free agent and 2024 NFL draft prospect with every team. Spielberger named safety as a position of need for the Steelers and specifically named Giants S Xavier McKinney and Ohio State S Lathan Ransom as two players the Steelers should target.
“Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the best all-around safeties in the NFL, but veterans Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee have lost a step at this point in their careers,” Spielberger wrote. “The next two safeties on the depth chart — Miles Killebrew and Elijah Riley — are pending free agents.”
Adding a long-term solution beside Fitzpatrick in the secondary would be a wise investment, and McKinney would be a logical player to target as a upcoming free agent. McKinney and Fitzpatrick were teammates at Alabama, and the former got drafted by New York in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. McKinney is a versatile defender who can play in the slot, in the box, as well as deep in coverage. He had a great sophomore season in 2021, picking off five passes and deflecting another 10. He missed time his rookie season as well as last year, but McKinney is a young defender who is physical as a run defender and would be a good complement to Fitzpatrick in the secondary.
Ransom is in his senior season at Ohio State and is a consistent defender against the run and pass. He has a pick in each of the last two seasons while also serving as a presence against the run close to the line of scrimmage. He has good size, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, and would be a fit at strong safety opposite Fitzpatrick. He is projected to be a mid-round pick at this juncture and could sit behind both Neal and Kazee to start his career, contributing on special teams while rotating in on sub packages until he is ready for a bigger role on defense in his second season.
