There is a good chance that the Steelers will need a new strong safety, and here are five options the team could add to start in 2022.
The Steelers are set to have their starting strong safety head into free agency this offseason in Terrell Edmunds. While the simplest solution may be to re-sign the veteran, as there aren’t any great options in the draft or free agency to replace him. That said, if Edmunds hits free agency, there is a good chance he walks.
Here are five players that could replace him for the Steelers in 2022.
Steelers could start Pola-Mao
One of the bigger disappointments of this season was Isaiah Pola-Mao. He is related to former Steelers’ great Troy Polamalu, but his time at USC has been underwhelming. After a great sophomore season, he followed it up with an average junior and then a below-average senior season. Now, he enters the draft with little fanfare after his collegiate regression.
That all said, he should be a better testing athlete, and Pola-Mao has shown flashes of elite play. Specifically, the closer he plays to the line of scrimmage and in the box, the better he is. He wouldn’t be a slam dunk starter as a rookie, but he could be a valuable role player for this defense.
They would still need someone else to at least start, but over time the job could become more his. This would be a last-ditch effort, but if the Steelers still need someone and he is available in the fourth round, he could be a fit.