The Pittsburgh Steelers are most of the way through the first part of the offseason leading to the draft. Before we get there, we’re going to take stock of how the roster has evolved over the past several weeks. Position by position, we’ll break down who’s coming and going and what’s next, for those rookies and those already here.
Position: Safety
Total Positional Figure: 7
Offseason Additions: 1
Offseason Deletions: 2
Players Retained:
Minkah Fitzpatrick: Fitzpatrick is coming off the worst season of his career. It’s no coincidence that he missed a lot of time due to injuries and played hurt as often as not otherwise. With better health luck for him and the defense as a whole, however, he should return to All-Pro form.
Damontae Kazee: While Kazee survived roster trimmings, he may have lost his starting job. He may serve as the sixth defensive back this season, if not in some kind of rotation.
Miles Killebrew: The Steelers paid up to re-sign Killebrew, their special teams ace, after his All-Pro season. I personally think they probably paid a little too much, but it’s not my money.
Trenton Thompson: An interesting player here, Thompson stepped in late last season and showed flashes. Only an injury prevented him from more playing time, which likely would have included starting the final four games of the season. I’d like to see more of him.
Jalen Elliott: A football journeyman, Elliott’s only in-game experience came in 2021 with the Detroit Lions. He spent the 2023 season bouncing on and off the Steelers’ practice squad. At 6-1 and 205 pounds, he has size for the position.
Nathan Meadors: The Steelers signed Meadors to the practice squad after Christmas. Originally a 2019 college free agent, he’s since bounced all around the league. He last played in a regular-season game in 2020. The team retained him after the season on a Reserve/Future contract.
Players Added:
DeShon Elliott: A presumed starter, the Steelers signed Elliott as an unrestricted free agent. While a heavy hitter, he is capable of playing free and strong safety. He figures to fill the latter role while pairing with Fitzpatrick and is probably the closest to Terrell Edmunds they’ve had.
Players Deleted:
Keanu Neal: The Steelers released Neal in early March with a failed physical designation. After signing a two-year, $4.25 million contract last offseason, Neal started eight games in 2023 but did not return to the field after suffering a rib injury in the Steelers’ mid-November win over the Green Bay Packers. The Elliott signing presumably closed the door on a possible Neal return.
Elijah Riley: The Steelers have shown no movement on bringing back Riley, who’s played a bit role here and there. Also capable of playing in the slot, it’s not impossible they eventually loop back to him in training camp. His slot capability and special teams experience play to his favor as well.
Notes And Draft Outlook:
While the Steelers could draft a safety, it’s likely not until Day 3 unless it’s a very versatile player. For example, if they were to draft Cooper DeJean in the first round, he may well end up playing safety in the long-term.
Otherwise, I think they could go without a safety in this draft class if that’s how things shake out. They already have arguably five roster-worthy safeties, including Thompson. What they need is cornerbacks, frankly.
