Steelers' biggest remaining need after the 2023 NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers hammered the nail that was the NFL Draft over the weekend, making pick after pick that could turn out to be useful players. But despite their draft and free-agent acquisitions, one position still remains questionable. Now, every team no matter how great, has a hole. The Chiefs and Eagles both had their […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers hammered the nail that was the NFL Draft over the weekend, making pick after pick that could turn out to be useful players. But despite their draft and free-agent acquisitions, one position still remains questionable.
Now, every team no matter how great, has a hole. The Chiefs and Eagles both had their selective deficiencies and they won their respective conference and went to last year's Super Bowl.
But that doesn't mean we can't examine the hole that is strong safety on this Steelers team while diagnosing why this position may be lacking and what if anything can be done to fix it.
Steelers fans are sure to have mixed opinions about former first-round pick Terrell Edmunds, who recently departed Pittsburgh for Philadelphia in free agency. But whether you thought he was good or not, doesn't change the fact that his void is yet to be replaced.
Yes, I am aware that Damontae Kazee is on the roster and he once lead the league in interceptions. But he's more of a free safety, or nickel defender, compared to a staunch strong safety.
I also recognize that the team signed Keanu Neal in the late stages of free agency, with his official listing as a safety on my early depth chart. But I expect Neal to roam more in the box, playing as a sub-package linebacker more often than a traditional safety.
And then there's the argument that the Steelers deploy mostly single high coverages, where only one safety is in the middle of the field, and it's the best center fielder in the league by way of Minkah Fitzpatrick.
But the league and even the Steelers have had to adapt and change to the two high safety schemes that inundate NFL defenses. That means you have to have safeties that can get off the hash and close those honey holes that pop up in cover two, six, and quarters coverage. But outside of Fitzpatrick, which of these projected safeties give you the confidence that they can play that role:
- Minkah Fitzpatrick
- Damontae Kazee
- Keanu Neal
- Tre Norwood
I'll wait…
oh right, none of them.
So while I largely approve of the team's draft class, they failed to address that need with any of their seven selections and still haven't in their undrafted free agent signings.
I will remain optimistic when it comes to the outlook of the defense given that strong safety is one of the "lesser" valued positions in the league, but every spot matters. Let's just hope this one doesn't come back to bite the Steelers.
