The Pittsburgh Steelers will need to address their safety position at some point this offseason.
The Steelers have been hard at work during free agency, but that activity will start to wind down now. The draft will begin to gain all of the attention as teams will look to find their next big addition through this process. This class of prospects has some great young players that will make a difference on Sundays.
Safety might be a major focus for Pittsburgh as they still need to find some players for the position. They might need a starting safety going forward, depending on if they add one in free agency. Upon writing this article, they have not added any player in free agency.
Strong safety is the biggest hole to fill for the entire team. They need a reliable partner for Minkah Fitzpatrick in the secondary of this defense. The black and gold will have options in this draft to find a starting safety.
Honorable mentions
Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
Daxton Hill is an interesting option for the Steelers in the late portions of the first round. Pick 20 might be too rich but trading back and selecting a safety like him would be favorable. Hill has played all over the secondary during his time at Michigan, but he seems to be a starting free safety at the next level. Many have him being drafted late in the first round or sometime during the second round.
Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
Jalen Pitre had a great week at the Senior Bowl and posted some great tape during his collegiate career at Baylor. He played in a hybrid linebacker role in that defense and didn’t play in a natural safety spot for the most part. He was able to show his ability to cover the opposition one on one during the Senior Bowl and cover up some concerns.
Pitre might be a little light to be a starting strong safety in the NFL, but he would be an interesting addition to deploy on this defense. He is projected to go on day two of the draft.
Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
Lewis Cine is an interesting option in the first round for the Steelers. Mike Tomlin and company were in person to watch the Georgia pro day. They got to watch Cine and his teammates put on a show as the athletic safety posted a blazing 40 time.
This prospect is someone that will interest the black and gold as time goes on. They could always wait to add this player in round two, but he might not last that long. This is a tough and physical player that could fit in that strong safety spot.
He is a little bigger but still doesn’t have the certain weight that many would want for the position. Cine knows how to clog run lanes and lay the boom when he hits. It would make for some fun football to see this speedy player come downhill and blow up a running back.
This could be an option for Pittsburgh if the first round falls a certain way. He is an interesting option that could fill the role that this defense is looking for. He would also be a major player on special teams to start off and that could also attract the Steelers as well. This safety is projected to go at some point between the late portions of round one or anytime on day two of the draft.
Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
Jaquan Brisker has been getting some attention recently with the Steelers searching for a potential starter at the position. This is a local Pittsburgh product that spent his college days at Penn State. He attended Gateway high school and fans would love to see a local kid stay home.
This player fits the strong safety role perfectly. He has the size that the team is looking for and his athletic ability gets overlooked at times. He has also been placed all over the Nittany Lions defense during his time there and that has allowed him to get options of deployment in the NFL.
He is a solid tackler, and his coverage ability is no slight in his game either. Brisker has been one of the top players at his position in college football over the past two seasons and the league has taken notice. It will be interesting to see how much interest the Steelers show in this prospect during the pre-draft process.
The Pittsburgh convoy will probably be at the Penn State pro-day, like they usually are. This is one of the top safeties coming out of college in 2022 and many clubs will show interest. He will have some chances of being taken earlier but pick 20 seems like a safe spot for this player. The current projection for this player being taken is at some point in the late first-round or early second round.
Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
Kyle Hamilton is the best safety in this draft class. Not only is he the best safety, but he might be the best prospect in 2022. He probably won’t be taken number one overall but that is because teams select need over value sometimes.
The Steelers will not get remotely close to selecting this player in the first round. He is a great talent that will go in the top five, potentially the top three. He has been the talk of this draft for years now and he will be hearing his name called early.
Pittsburgh would love to add a player like Hamilton, but the only hope they have in getting him will be in years when he has a chance of becoming a free agent. He is the perfect size and athlete that would check every box for the Steelers to select him in round one. He is just far too talented to be there unless the team surprised everyone and traded up for him.
He would make for a formidable duo with Minkah Fitzpatrick on this defense. The only position that the black and gold will trade up for will be a quarterback, but that seems more unlikely with each day that passes.
Right now, Hamilton seems to be on his way to being a top-five pick and that seems fairly locked in at this point. He could always be selected higher as he will be an immediate impact player for whichever franchise selects him.
The Steelers will need to find a replacement for Terrell Edmunds if he departs in free agency. They have a lot of quality players to choose from come April.