When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ initial 53-man roster, it was the defense that drew the surprises. The way Pittsburgh’s offense was constructed turned out to be expected, the only question revolving around whether Dez Fitzpatrick would make it as the final receiver. He lost out, for now, at least. But defensively? There were two notable inclusions: rookie DL Logan Lee and S Jalen Elliott.
The Steelers currently have eight defensive linemen, two more than normal and one more than what should be their maximum. A deletion will likely come, though we’ll see if it’s Lee or someone else who gets subtracted. Elliott? Perhaps the same happens to him, but his spot seems more secure. Why? Pittsburgh needs capable special teamers, struggling to make impact plays on the coverage team this summer, and Elliott can provide that.
He showed it in the preseason finale. Though his tackling as a safety against the run has been inconsistent, he impressed on special teams. Elliott recorded two tackles against the Detroit Lions—one on a kickoff and one on a punt.
The first stop came on the Steelers’ first kickoff. It was still a positive return for Detroit, 28 yards to their own 32, but Elliott made a solo stop to prevent it from going any further. Aligned as R2, Elliott keys the ball, gets off the block, and makes the tackle.
Later in the half, Elliott made another solo stop on the punt team. It was still a 16-yard return and net punt of only 35 yards, neither of those figures acceptable, but Elliott prevented it from being worse.
Making two solo special teams tackles during a summer where Pittsburgh has struggled to find someone making any positive play is notable. WR Dez Fitzpatrick got plenty of reps and occasionally made stops, but he didn’t have the success needed to make the initial grouping. So Elliott filling up the stat sheet gets Danny Smith’s attention. It helps that Elliott has some NFL experience, playing nearly 100 defensive snaps in 2021 with the Detroit Lions and more than 140 on special teams.
Pay attention to where Elliott is aligning on that punt, too. He’s the left wing. Had Elliott been off the roster and, say, someone like Fitzpatrick or Thomas Graham Jr. kept instead, there wouldn’t have been an obvious option for that position. You need a bigger guy, typically a safety, running back, or tight end, to absorb any rush from a typically bigger defender (linebacker, tight end, safety). Pittsburgh had no running backs that could do the job, and cutting Rodney Williams meant that their best option was gone, too.
In that scenario, options were limited. TE MyCole Pruitt got some reps there in camp but not in the preseason, and a 30-plus-year-old tight end trying to cover punts isn’t ideal. DeMarvin Leal may have been a candidate, given his unique athleticism, but he’s never done it before. Elliott fits that role well, and assuming he sticks on the 53 and is active for Week 1, the left-wing is the spot he’ll occupy. DeShon Elliott will be the right wing, while Miles Killebrew will be the backup. And if you’re wondering, LBs Mark Robinson, Tyler Matakevich, Payton Wilson, TE Connor Heyward, and LS Christian Kuntz will be upfront on the LOS.
That’s why Elliott gets the spot. Is it a surprise? A little. But on Monday’s Terrible Podcast, I floated the idea to Dave Bryan.
“Can I also give you a crazy thought, too?” I said. “What about Jalen Elliott? He’s good on special teams. He’s physical. He’s known. He can play left-wing. He started left wing on the punt team in this one. I think it makes more sense as a practice squad elevation thing, but I’m not going to even discount Jalen Elliott making the team as that 53rd guy, as that fifth safety.”
Now, my victory lap stalls out before the finish line. I didn’t put Elliott on my final 53, leaving just four safeties instead. But I wasn’t as surprised to see his name on there as I was Lee and eight defensive linemen. Ultimately, the final roster spots are won by versatile and special teams-capable players. Elliott, despite bouncing on and off the roster and only brought back mid-way through camp to replace an injured Nate Meadors, proved he could be that guy.
