Player: S Sebastian Castro
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: A rookie college free agent, S Sebastian Castro suddenly has a real shot at making the Steelers’ 53-man roster. After the team traded starting S Minkah Fitzpatrick, they have a lack of depth at the position. While Juan Thornhill could step into the starting lineup, Castro is suddenly just one of four true safeties under contract.
That the Steelers will sign another safety before long is probably a given, but for now, no news is good news for Sebastian Castro. A rookie college free agent out of Iowa, he is one of only four safeties they currently have under contract. This follows the team’s move to trade Minkah Fitzpatrick, leaving just Deshon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew, and Castro.
While the Steelers see Elliott as a long-term starter, re-signing him to a two-year contract last month, the rest is fungible or worse. Miles Killebrew is a special teamer first and foremost, and a Pro Bowler at that. While his roster spot is secure, defensive playing time is not. Thornhill has a lot of starting experience but works better as depth. All this leaves the door open for Sebastian Castro.
Now, as part of the Fitzpatrick trade, the Steelers acquired a safety-capable Jalen Ramsey. Until we actually see them plug the seven-time Pro Bowler in the back end, though, playing him there remains speculative. Right now, the starters are presumably Elliott and Thornhill, and Killebrew and Castro are…what’s left.
Given this situation, as I wrote at the top, adding another safety seems like a given. Even on pure numbers alone, they just don’t have enough to get through training camp. And there are some legitimate veterans available, most notably Justin Simmons. But for Sebastian Castro, his real job right now is more about special teams, anyway. He is still subject to the numbers game in terms of roster construction, but if he makes it, he’ll have Danny Smith to thank.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
