Key Stat Highlights Steelers Safety's Impact

One such addition who cemented himself into a starting role in 2024 was safety DeShon Elliott. One key stat highlights Elliott’s impact on the Steelers, and it relates to how reliable he is in the open field.

Via Pro Football Hall of Fame Ambassador on Twitter, Elliott, “Made 108 of 111 tackle opportunities in 2024 - a 97.3% tackle efficiency rating - the highest rating in NGS history (Since 2018 and minimum 100 tackle opportunities.)”

Next Gen Stats isn’t the only site high on Elliott’s tackling, either. By Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Elliott was the NFL’s 18th-best safety, earning the eighth-best run defense grade, and the best tackling grade (tied with Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp). According to their charting, he missed the lowest percentage of tackles of any qualified safety (1.7 percent).

Those are awfully impressive marks, emphasized by his versatility. Playing significant snaps at deep safety, slot corner, and box safety, Eliiott was forced to get his hands dirty and make tackles at the line of scrimmage, the second level, and while crashing downhill from deep. In each of those assignments, he excelled.

There are questions about Elliott’s role in the late-season coverage breakdowns that had veteran defenders hinting at frustration, but he largely held his own against the pass, finding an interception and six passes defended in 2024. Combined with his exceptional performance against the run, it’s much easier to project him as a major contributor to Pittsburgh’s success in 2025.

Elliott might not preclude them from investing in the secondary – holes in the slot and on the boundary make that necessary – but entering another contract year, the veteran safety should be expected to play a big part of the Steelers defense, regardless of where he lines up.