This is the 10th in a series looking at the Steelers by position heading into their 2024 training camp at Saint Vincent College July 24. Today: Safeties
Players (7): Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Damonte Kazee, Miles Killebrew, Ryan Watts, Nate Meadors
When you have two All-Pro players at a position group, that unit should be pretty well set, and that's where the Steelers find themselves at safety.
In free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers have one of the best players in the league regardless of position. And Miles Killebrew is one of the most impactful special teams players in the league.
But that doesn't mean the Steelers sat on their hands during the offseason at the safety position, especially after dealing with a rash of injuries that forced them to start six different combinations of players at safety in 2023 because of injuries.
Injuries limited Fitzpatrick to 10 games, Keanu Neal to 9 and Damonte Kazee to 14, forcing the Steelers to mix and match players on the back end of the defense.
They also were forced to use Fitzpatrick all over the field in a variety of ways to try to solve problems, something Fitzpatrick is capable of doing, but something that also limited his production. As a result, Fitzpatrick didn't record a single interception and had just three pass defenses in 2023.
With that in mind, the Steelers added veteran safety DeShon Elliott in the offseason to play at strong safety and allow Fitzpatrick to go back to playing a more traditional free safety role, which should improve his takeaway production. Fitzpatrick tied for the league lead in interceptions in 2022 with six.
Fitzpatrick had 17 interceptions in his first four seasons with the Steelers.
"Just let me play ball," Fitzpatrick said. "That's it. Minkah ball."
That would mean having Fitzpatrick roaming the deep middle of the field, with Elliott doing more traditional strong safety things such as covering tight ends.
"Minkah is at his best when he's playing back a little bit deeper seeing things and able to react and see the game because he sees it really fast," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. "And so, my job is to try to keep him back there as much as possible and keep him out of situations where he splits up doing that stuff. (It's not) that he can't, but he's better doing the other things and that's where the other additions come in. You got guys that are able to handle some of those duties that you know that he kind of picked up last year. So, we're going to have other guys do those duties and let him get back to being where he's not just really good, where he's exceptional."
Elliott recorded 82 tackles and one interception for the Dolphins last season and will bring a physical presence to the safety position.
"It's football. I feel like if you are scared of being physical, get off the field," Elliott said. "They are trying to turn football into basketball on grass. We are not fixing to have that around here. I don't play those type of games. I really don't."
The same could be said of Kazee and Killebrew, a pair of solid veteran players.
Kazee recorded 61 tackles and recovered a pair of fumbles last season, while Killebrew tied for second in the NFL with 13 special teams tackles and also blocked or deflected two kicks while being named All-Pro and to his first Pro Bowl.
The Steelers also selected defensive back Ryan Watts with their second of two sixth round draft picks. Watts, a cornerback at Texas, has excellent size at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds and athleticism. He lined up at both corner and safety during the offseason, but could have a long-term future at safety and as a special teams ace.
The Steelers also brought back first-year player Nate Meadors also spent time on the Steelers' practice squad in 2023, for another shot at making the 53-man roster.
