5 early Pittsburgh Steelers defensive training camp positional battles in 2020

Backup Safety: Jordan Dangerfield vs. Antoine Brooks

Despite their need for a reliable backup safety, the Steelers did very little in the way of addressing the position this year outside of drafting Maryland’s Antoine Brooks Jr. in the 6th round.

In college, Brooks played more of a hybrid linebacker role. He was very physical against the run but limited in his range on the back end. His playstyle is really similar to that of Jordan Dangerfield.

Dangerfield was a former undrafted free agent signed as a 24-year-old by the Steelers all the way back in 2014, and he has stuck around in Pittsburgh ever since. Like Brooks, Dangerfield has obvious limitations in coverage but does his dirty work near the line of scrimmage.

While both players stand to play significant roles on special teams (assuming both make the roster), only one will take on the role of the primary backup safety. This will likely go to Dangerfield because of his years of experience with the team.

There will no doubt be other defensive training camp battles that arise as we push through the summer, but keep an eye on these five. They will have major implications on how the defense plays for the Steelers this season.