If there’s one area that stood out on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ depth chart, it was the listing of only one safety. Right now, the Steelers have Jaquan Brisker, Rayshawn Jenkins, and Robert Spears-Jennings as pure safeties on the active roster. However, that’s not to say Jalen Ramsey won’t be used as a safety from time to time. Regardless, the Steelers’ No. 1 depth chart concern is the safety position.
Not only are the Steelers currently thin at safety, but they also have mostly strong safety-type players to deploy. Jenkins, Spears-Jennings, and Brisker could all fill in as a free safety in a Cover 2 or Cover 4 shell. What they probably won’t be able to provide, though, is a true center-fielding free safety who can consistently patrol the deep middle of the field.
Safety continues to be a concern
The lack of depth becomes even more concerning when considering how important the safety position is to the Steelers’ defensive structure. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will likely want to move his safeties around and disguise coverages, but having limited personnel could make that more difficult.
Brisker gives the Steelers an experienced option after joining the team this offseason, while Jenkins has extensive NFL experience. Spears-Jennings, meanwhile, could see his role expand considerably in his second season. Still, the Steelers don’t have much room for error if one of those players suffers an injury.
Ramsey could help alleviate some of the concerns. The veteran defensive back has the versatility to line up at multiple positions, allowing Pittsburgh to get creative with its personnel. However, relying heavily on Ramsey at safety could create another issue by taking him away from the cornerback position.
How will the Steelers work around the safety issue?
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The easiest solution could be to lean into the versatility of Ramsey. However, Graham can use different combinations of defensive backs depending on the matchup, allowing the Steelers to avoid putting one player in a traditional free safety role on every snap.
Pittsburgh could also rely more heavily on two-high safety looks, keeping both safeties deep and asking them to divide the field rather than requiring one player to cover the entire middle. That could help mask the lack of a traditional center fielder.
Ultimately, the Steelers may have enough talent to get by at safety, but the position remains one of the biggest questions heading into Week 1. If the defense wants to take a significant step forward, it will need its safeties to hold up both physically and schematically.
