Don’t look now, but UDFA rookie S Sebastian Castro may well be turning up the heat in the battle for the last spot in the secondary. The former Hawkeye had a big day in the last practice before a players day off, recording an interception and goal-line stop. After trading Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers suddenly looked thin at safety, but Castro could help.
Undrafted out of Iowa earlier this year, Sebastian Castro spent five years with the Hawkeyes. Nominally a safety, he played a “Cash” role in their defense, a hybrid position incorporating many responsibilities. In any given game, he could line up at deep safety, the slot, or up in the box.
The Steelers signed Castro, giving him a $25,000 signing bonus, as a college free agent. By their standards, that’s good money, and the second-most they gave out this year. At the time, I imagine, they weren’t actively shopping Fitzpatrick, though they did scout some first-round safety prospects.
After trading Fitzpatrick, the Steelers’ safety group included DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew, Quindell Johnson, and Sebastian Castro. Since that move, they did add veteran starter Chuck Clark, but he has no guarantees—literally. In his deal, he has no signing bonus. While he has a small roster bonus, he has to make the team to earn that.
To the eyes of many, Clark has stood out, and he quickly ascended the depth chart after signing on the second day of training camp. But Castro is just getting started. If he can continue to make plays as he did on Sunday, he could make this competitive.
One thing potentially working against him is that the Steelers already have a special teams ace at safety. What they really need is a reserve safety they can start in the event of injury. Chuck Clark fits that bill, whereas Sebastian Castro does not. Still, special teams ability could help him state his case—indeed, he considers it crucial.
Castro got off to a quiet start in training camp, but he could build momentum toward something more. It’s not surprising that a rookie would take some acclimating. And now that the Steelers are practicing in pads, he can better articulate his strengths.
Although they didn’t use a draft pick on him, the Steelers clearly like Castro. Even if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster, he should find a spot on the practice squad. Of course, we have to see how he looks in the preseason games first, and there’s still a long way to go. And goodness knows we have seen our share of training camp darlings in the past.
Though some of them actually end up having a career, like Jordan Dangerfield. The former Steelers safety logged 61 games between 2016 and 2020. He played 225 defensive snaps, adding 1,147 more on special teams. If Sebastian Castro could reach even that level, he will have been a success.
