Safety is a strength, but closer look reveals concerns
Of all the safety combinations in the NFL, it’s not a stretch to say the Steelers have a unique coupling. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds were the only tandem of first-round picks manning the back end of a secondary in 2020, although Denver had the highest-paid pairing in Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons.
Of course, the Steelers didn’t actually draft both in the first round. Edmunds was their surprise selection at the tail end in 2018, while Fitzpatrick came to Pittsburgh via trade a year and a half after he was the 11th overall pick.
Together, they give the Steelers a high degree of pedigree, but also high expectations. Fitzpatrick cemented himself as one of the league’s best at the position over the past two seasons, and Edmunds cemented himself as an every-down starter over the previousthree.
It’s a one-two punch that could solidify those spots for years to come for a franchise that counts Hall of Fame safeties Troy Polamalu and Donnie Shell among its best players ever. But two years into being co-workers from the same draft class, how well do they complement each other?
After all, when Edmunds was drafted, his running mate was Sean Davis — a versatile safety who never quite found his niche in the Steelers defense and Thursday signed with the Colts in free agency. Maybe the vision was for Edmunds and Davis to be somewhat interchangeable, no true free or strong safety, or at least for Edmunds to move around freely throughout thedefense.
Now that Fitzpatrick is in the fold as a first-team All-Pro twice over, perhaps role allocation is more important than versatility. Fitzpatrick has settled in as a deep safety, a smart enough defender to play just about anywhere, but a once-disgruntled Dolphins player who wasn’t happy with how much he was being moved around in Miami. He has made it clear here his preference is to play free safety, patrolling the post rather than matching up on tight ends or sliding into the slot.
So if Fitzpatrick is parked in center field, where he can pick off passes with aplomb, it might not hurt to have a hard-hitting strong safety ashis sidekick. The 6-foot-1, 217-pound Edmunds has flashed that ability, but no one would confuse him with Polamalu or Jamal Adams in his instincts or makingplays in the box.
By the numbers, Edmunds improved in both his tackling and his coverage in Year 3. His missed tackle percentage decreased from 9.5 to 8.1 from 2019 and, even more dramatically, he went from allowing a 131.6 passer rating when targeted two years ago to just 70.8 last season, according to pro-footballreference. Those advanced stats paint a much different picture than his career-low 68 tackles, which coincided with career highs in pass breakups (8) and interceptions (2).
Edmunds actually had fewer stops than Fitzpatrick, who racked up 79 tackles but could’ve had more. Fitzpatrick missed 11 tackles, per pro-football-reference, and explained midseason that those whiffs occasionallycame with taking risksto bring a big hit.
That may be, but it’s no secretyou want Fitzpatrick using his skills far from the line of scrimmage. Is Edmunds the guy you want as your thumper? The Steelers will have another season to evaluate that, though they must make a decision on each player’s fifth-year option by May 3. Fitzpatrick is a slam dunk. Edmunds feels like more of amid-range jump shot.
One thing’s for sure, it’s good that both players rarely leave the field. The depth chart at safety is as thin as any position on the roster, and this doesn’t appear to be a good college crop of safeties. Edmunds figures to be Fitzpatrick’s top backup, and the No. 3 is … Antoine Brooks, who played 29 snaps as a rookie sixth-rounder?
Jordan Dangerfield, who’sexclusively been used on special teams the past two seasons, is an unrestricted free agent. Marcus Allen has moved to inside linebacker. Miles Killebrew, a 6-2, 222-pound special teamer, played some strong safety his first two seasonsin Detroit, but eventually moved to linebacker and is now listed there on the Steelers roster after signingas a free agent. John Battle never made it off the practicesquad last year.
Mike Hilton occasionally rolled from the slot to sub in for Edmunds, and Cam Sutton played 29% of his snaps last season at safety, but Hilton’s now in Cincinnati while Sutton is penciled in to replace Steven Nelson at outside corner. In other words, there has to be another shoe to drop, because an injury to Fitzpatrick or Edmunds would leave the Steelers in something resembling Kameron Kelly territory— a very dark time P.F. (pre-Fitzpatrick) early inthe 2019 campaign.
The Steelers reportedly broughtin Karl Joseph for a visit Thursday. Joseph, a 510, 200-pound 14th overall pick in 2016, led all Browns defensive backs with 23 tackles against the run last season. He was rated poorly in 2020 by Pro Football Focus with a 52.7 grade, well below Edmunds (70.9) and Fitzpatrick(79.5), but played more than 75% of the snaps in both of the Browns’ postseasongames.
“A former West Virginia Mountaineer who I just absolutelyloved in draft prep,” Tomlin said before last year’s Week 5 matchup with Cleveland. “Man, he’s got a certain physicality in his play that you admire if youappreciate football.”
We know the Steelers appreciate former first-round picks on their defense, especiallyat safety.