Early Thursday morning, (former) Pittsburgh Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds announced his farewell. After five up-and-down seasons in the black and gold, he will head elsewhere in free agency. His next location hasn’t yet been disclosed, as that's expected to come soon. According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Edmunds has told the Steelers that he is signing elsewhere.
Now, the front office has to quickly turn their heads to the safety position. Cornerback and offensive tackle remain as two of the biggest needs on the team, but safety is now up there on the list of priorities. There are some options in free agency, as well as the draft. While this year's safety class isn't necessarily good, there are a few options that would make sense, particularly in the second round.
Clemson LB Trenton Simpson
You’ve probably heard me discuss it several times by now. Head coachMike Tomlin went to dinner with Simpson last week, a day before attending Clemson’s Pro Day. That shows an obvious interest that the black and gold have in the linebacker. Now, with the team recently signing Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, why would they draft a linebacker? Well, his speed and athleticism would work quite well in a transition to safety.
Would Simpson fit in well for the Steelers?
Between Simpson and Damontae Kazee, the Steelers would have a ton of flexibility and versatility on the back-end of the defense. Kazee was used primarily in a utility role as the third safety last season, a role Simpson could fill as well. With thumpers at linebacker in Holcomb and Roberts, it's important the black and gold get some speed out there on the field to help in coverage. This makes Simpson a possibly smart draft pick, perhaps to open up Day Two.
Alabama safety Brian Branch
Since Simpson isn’t officially listed as a safety, Branch is widely regarded as the best safety in the 2023 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, this safety class is quite weak. Additionally, he didn't have the best week in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine. His RAS ended up being quite disappointing, specifically his 4.58 40-yard dash time. Now, he's likely to fall to the second round.
Branch also weighed in at just 190 pounds in Indianapolis, another concern for his NFL outlook. He is simply more of a gamer, meaning his tape is what should appeal to scouts and executives. Ultimately, there are some concerns, but Branch played exceptional football in the SEC. He has the tools to become successful at the next level, it's just a matter of if the Steelers are willing to look past his few flaws.
Penn State safety Ji’Ayir Brown
While Joey Porter Jr. will be the Penn State DB that generates the buzz around the Steelers, Ji'Ayir Brown may be just as realistic of an option. He got a bit of a late start in college, as he had to sit behind several talented safeties at Penn State. In 2021 and 2022 though, he took off as a full-time starter and became quite the playmaker in Happy Valley. In those two seasons, Brown racked up 10 interceptions, eight pass deflections, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
It's the kind of playmaking ability that the Steelers may be looking for in their next safety. While Edmunds evolved a ton over his five-year tenure with the team, he never really became a playmaker. That's something that Brown proved over the past two years, and he even stepped up in the running game this past season. He finished his final collegiate season with 74 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. Keep your eye out for him, as the black and gold could get him in the middle rounds if they don't go safety earlier.
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