Steelers and Malik Hooker would be a great pairing for 2021

Despite him not being signed after his recent free-agent visit, Hooker would be a great addition to the Steelers 2021 roster.

Reports came out last week that the Steelers met with free agent free safety Malik Hooker, and while no deal has been reported yet, he would be a stellar signing for the team. While free safety is already occupied by the stellar Minkah Fitzpatrick, adding depth and versatility to the roster is always a good thing. Hooker provides that and assuming he would come in at a fair value, the team would be wise to give him a deal for 2021.

The story with Hooker is an all-to-common one, unfortunately. He was a stellar athlete and somewhat raw prospect that went in the first round. He played well when on the field, but injuries took their toll and now he finds himself looking for a new team after tearing his Achilles tendon early last season. He has obvious talent and the knack for taking the ball away (he has seven interceptions in 36 total games played), but that injury factor looms heavy over him.

If the Steelers signed him though, the injury factor wouldn’t be as big of a concern. While he has yet to play in a full 16-game season, he has also seen starting snaps while playing. This led to more exposure and a naturally higher chance for an injury. No team is expecting him to be a traditional starter this year (thus the reason a 25-year-old with his potential is still a free agent). This decreased snap total could lead to a healthier 2021 for Hooker.

What does Hooker provide the Steelers?

Simply put, adding Hooker allows your defense to play with more versatility. Hooker himself is probably limited to being a single-high free safety (he isn’t that great in man-coverage given his best 110.8 quarterback rating he allowed in 2019), but he can play that role allowing Fitzpatrick to move around more. While Fitzpatrick would still be the traditional free safety in base, he could move closer to the line of scrimmage and even serve as a slot defender in some sub-packages. Hooker would free Fitzpatrick up to serve in such a role.

As of now, the Steelers’ defense couldn’t play like that. Neither Arthur Maulet nor Tre Norwood should see playing time as the deep safety if it can be avoided in 2021. Hooker could hold his own there and showcase some of the ball skills that he has. This gives another solution to the pending slot cornerback issue as well since Fitzpatrick could take on some of those responsibilities.

While all it takes is one team to overpay him, it seems unlikely Hooker gets much more than the minimum. Damontae Kazee was in a similar position earlier this offseason, as the talented free safety missed most of 2020 despite previous success in both 2018 and 2019. He signed a one-year minimum contract with the Cowboys.

Hooker likely was offered that deal from the Steelers and offer that is probably just a phone call away from being signed. You can’t blame Hooker for seeing what his value is nor seeing if there is a better opportunity for him as camp gets underway. That said, his role with the team seems like a good fit, and it would be one that wouldn’t put the traditional wear and tear on his body. Unless another team blows his socks off, Hooker would be in a good position with the Steelers in 2021.

Are their better free-agent fits based on needs? Sure, a name like Brian Poole would fill the void at slot cornerback more permanently. That said, it is a rare opportunity to be able to sign a player with the upside that Hooker possesses this late in the offseason. The versatility and depth he would provide are immense. Both parties would benefit from this deal, so here is to hoping that he circles back with the team this season.