No one was surprised when the Pittsburgh Steelers added a safety to their roster during the early days of training camp. There were rumors of interest in Jordan Whitehead, which could still be a reasonable option for them even after adding free agent Rayshawn Jenkins. The veteran safety was a solid get to boost the depth chart, but letting Darnell Savage go was somewhat of a shock.
With Jenkins now in the fold and Savage off the roster, the Steelers still have a need at the safety position. They are top-heavy at the moment as the early days of training camp continue to push further.
Pittsburgh effectively has Jaquan Brisker, DeShon Elliott, and Rayshawn Jenkins as the only roster locks at the moment, but don't expect the current rostered players to stick around.
Training camp will determine whether the Steelers feel comfortable with the safeties they employ, or if they need to seek outside hires. There remain some interesting free agent choices on the open market, including Whitehead and others to help boost the position. Although Jenkins has a clear path to make the team, there could be other options that make his job expendable.
Rayshawn Jenkins could struggle to stick around at Steelers training camp
When you review the current group of safeties on the roster, the Steelers could use some help. Other than the two starters, they have some unproven players behind them. Rayshawn Jenkins, Sebastian Castro, and Robert Spears-Jennings are the top options to push for jobs at training camp.
All of them have something to prove this Summer, or they could get kicked out of Pittsburgh.
You would love to see Spears-Jennings or Castro show they are more than worth keeping on the depth chart, but neither is uber-talented. One is a former undrafted player, and the other was a seventh-round selection this past spring. Finding a way to either sign a free agent or acquire an upgrade on the roster might be the most likely outcome for the Steelers moving forward.
Jenkins is a proven commodity in the NFL, but at 32 years old, you would prefer to see either Castro or Spears-Jennings take his job. The longtime NFL safety has shown he can play as a starter or be a solid depth option for a talented team. This is his tenth NFL training camp, and he has produced a career of 139 in-game appearances and started 92 of those contests.
When it comes down to it, Jenkins shouldn't be the free agent upgrade the Steelers are comfortable settling for. They need to add another piece to boost the depth chart if neither Spears-Jennings nor Castro shows they are worthy of a roster spot. That way, Jenkins can be the fourth safety if he makes the team, and another outside hire jumps in front of him.
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