This is the eighth in a series on the upcoming NFL Draft, which will take place April 28 through 30. Today: Safety
When speaking about the state of the Steelers' roster at the NFL meetings recently, Kevin Colbert noted that the team has 24 of its 25 starting spots filled -- obviously counting the team's specialists.
The one spot that was empty at the time and remains so? Strong safety.
Terrell Edmunds, a 2018 first-round draft pick, remains a free agent along with a bevy of other solid safeties. The reason? This year's safety class in the draft is a deep and talented one, capable of providing a number of teams with good, cheap options on the back end of their respective defenses.
It's a big reason why, despite the salary cap going up this year and some record-breaking deals having been handed out, the safety market has been depressed. Only three safeties have signed deals that average more than $10 million per season and there have only been seven deals given to safeties that average more than $5 million per year -- a pittance by today's standards.
The Steelers have remained in contact with the agent for Edmunds, their starting strong safety the past four seasons, and he remains an option to re-sign with the team. But what happens in the draft could go a long way toward that happening or not.
At free safety, the Steelers have one of the best in the business in Minkah Fitzpatrick. They'll be working on a long-term extension with Fitzpatrick once the draft is completed, one that will make the two-time All-Pro one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL.
And that is largely why they have balked at handing out another big contract at that position or picking up the fifth-year option on Edmunds. The Steelers don't want to have too much money tied up in a position that isn't as highly valued as many others.
But other than Fitzpatrick, the team really doesn't have a starting-caliber safety on the roster. Veteran Miles Killebrew is a valuable special teams player with some starting experience, but the team wouldn't want to go into a 17-game schedule with him as a starter.
The same goes for veteran Karl Joseph, a former first-round who spent most of last season on the team's practice squad, though Joseph has more starting experience than Killebrew.
Tre Norwood, a seventh-round draft pick in 2021, showed some value as a slot cornerback, but isn't a consistent tackler and is too slight to handle the rigors of playing in the box consistently. He's more of a free safety.
Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton is the best safety in this draft class, and at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds is something of a unicorn at the position. Though he ran just a 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, Hamilton's length gives him so much more coverage ability, as evidenced by his eight interceptions in 31 collegiate games.
"I think this kid is pretty unique," said NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. "He's so tall and long and rangy. (He has) the ability to make plays from the deep middle as well as to drop down and play down low and be a physical player, he can erase tight ends."
But Hamilton is hardly the only potential first-round talent at the position this year.
Michigan's Daxton Hill is a wiry 6-foot, 191 pounds, but ran a blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine to go along with an excellent 6.57-second three-cone time. He's fast and changes directions well.
Hill played more than 500 snaps as the Wolverines' slot corner last season in addition to playing both strong and free safety -- giving him split-safety potential -- and could give the team that selects him an interesting chess piece to move around.
For teams looking at a pure strong safety talent, Georgia's Lewis Cine, Bryan Cook of Cincinnati and Penn State's Jaquon Brisker, a Gateway High School graduate in suburban Pittsburgh, all fit that mold.
Cine, in particular, seems to have really helped himself in the draft process as he's reportedly interviewed very well, showing a great mind to be a defensive general on the field while also running a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2, 199 pounds.
"He's a great run support player, plays with a lot of speed," Jeremiah said of Cine, the defensive MVP of the National Championship game. "I think his thing is going to be in coverage. You can see him in coverage, there are some times he gets beat by tight ends, and that's a little bit of the concern there, but you love the temperament and how he plays."
Those five safeties, along with Baylor's Jalen Pitre, another combination safety who doubles as a slot cornerback, all could be off the board by the middle of the second round.
If the Steelers wait until the third round to address the position, Maryland's Nick Cross could be a target for them.
A roommate of Mike Tomlin's son, Dino, at Maryland, Cross will be well known to the Steelers. He ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and posted 66 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions in 2021.
Baylor's JT Woods, Tycen Anderson of Toledo, Percy Butler of Louisiana and Alonte Taylor of Tennessee are other mid-round prospects who could interest the team.
If the Steelers want to wait, there are a couple of interesting late-round prospects who could pique their interest who have ties to the team.
UCLA's Quentin Lake (6-1, 201) is the son of former Steelers safety and defensive backs coach Carnell Lake, while USC's Isaiah Polo-Mao (6-3, 212) is the nephew of former Steelers safety and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Troy Polamalu.
Lolley's Top 10 Safeties
1. Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame (6-4, 220)
2. Daxton Hill, Michigan (6-0, 191)
3. Lewis Cine, Georgia (6-2, 199)
4. Jalen Pitre, Baylor (5-10 198)
5. Jaquan Brisker, Penn State (6-1, 206)
6. Bryan Cook, Cincinnati (6-1, 206)
7. Nick Cross, Maryland (6-1, 212)
8. Tycen Anderson, Toledo (6-2, 207)
9. Kerby Joseph, Illinois (6-1, 203)
10. JT Woods, Baylor (6-2, 195)
Also See
Steelers NFL Draft Preview: Wide Receiver
Steelers NFL Draft Preview: Defensive Line
Steelers NFL Draft Preview: Tight Ends
Steelers NFL Draft Preview: Running Backs
Steelers NFL Draft Preview: Edge Rushers
Steelers NFL Draft Preview: Interior Offensive Line
Steelers NFL Draft Preview: Inside Linebackers
