Steelers Not Done Adding at Key Position

The Pittsburgh Steelers filled two roster holes upon acquiring cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins on June 30, but they created another one by sending safety Minkah Fitzpatrick the other way in that deal.

The team is set to start DeShon Elliott, who signed a two-year extension worth $12.25 million this offseason after a career year in 2024, and Juan Thornhill at the position, though an upgrade for the latter could be in the cards.

While appearing on 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly shared that he doesn't believe general manager Omar Khan's work at safety is done this offseason.

"I don't think Omar's done yet with safety," he said. "You talk about not doing your due diligence of trying to improve a defense and create competition by just handing a starting job to Juan Thornhill, who had a below average season last year."

Thornhill, who signed a one-year deal worth $3 million with Pittsburgh in March, is a suitable veteran depth option with 74 starts under his belt. His play fell off over the last few years as a member of the Cleveland Browns, however, and he saw his snap percentage drop to a career-low 57 percent in 2024.

When parsing through the Steelers' other candidates for playing time at the position, Miles Killebrew and Sebastian Castro stick out as the primary contenders. The issue, though, is that the former is almost exclusively a special teams ace whose logged just 177 defensive reps since 2021, while the latter was a once highly-touted prospect who went undrafted this year.

With $17.645 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, Pittsburgh has the necessary funds to go out and sign a veteran such as Justin Simmons or Julian Blackmon if it so chooses. The organization could also wait things out until final roster cuts and scoop up an overlooked player at the position.

Regardless of the timing, the Steelers have to be proactive in finding reinforcements at safety.

"I mean, that has to be on their mind," Kaboly said. "Maybe it's not now; maybe it's in August when they cut some people or they can move some people around. But you would have to believe that that's something that they're really looking at right now."