Do the Baltimore Ravens have a better three-safety combo than the Pittsburgh Steelers?
The Baltimore Ravens announced the signing of former Pro Bowl S Eddie Jackson, who will serve as their third safety. He joins former first-round pick Kyle Hamilton and former prized free-agent signing Marcus Williams in their backfield. But do the Ravens now have a better group at safety than the Pittsburgh Steelers?
The Steelers have arguably the best safety in the league in Minkah Fitzpatrick, even coming off of a down year. They believe they have upgraded at strong safety, replacing Keanu Neal with DeShon Elliott. To pair with those two, Damontae Kazee returns for his third season in Pittsburgh as the third safety.
Like Fitzpatrick, Kyle Hamilton reached first-team All-Pro in his second season. He recorded 4 interceptions with 13 passes defensed, 3 sacks and 10 tackles for loss for the Ravens last season. Williams has had some issues staying healthy, but he has 20 interceptions to his name. As for the Steelers, Fitzpatrick recorded no interceptions last year after leading the league with 6 picks in 2022.
In fact, the Ravens just lost Geno Stone, who had 7 interceptions last year. One could easily argue they had a better safety group in 2023 than they do this year. Eddie Jackson is a former Pro Bowler, but the emphasis is on former.
For the Steelers, Elliott has also struggled with injuries during his career, and he’s not a big-time playmaker. They do hope that he is a stabilizing force, while Kazee is more of the opposite. He is capable of producing turnovers, but is also prone to costly gambles.
Hamilton and Fitzpatrick are not quite the same player. They both move all around the field, but Fitzpatrick is best as a deep safety, while Hamilton’s strength is his flexibility. He may even be more effective closer in the box, but the Steelers have Elliott and Kazee for that.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
