With Minkah Fitzpatrick gone, what will the Steelers do at safety?
The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired star cornerback Jalen Ramsey at the end of June, but traded All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to do it. And while the Steelers got better at cornerback, a hole at safety is left in Fitzpatrick’s absence.
One might think that Ramsey could be a one-to-one replacement for Fitzpatrick and move back to play safety. However, that’s not exactly going to be the case, as Ramsey has never played as a full-time safety. Admittedly, Fitzpatrick was no longer the impact playmaker he was at the beginning of his career in Pittsburgh.
Fitzpatrick was one of the Steelers’ better tacklers and wasn’t often caught out of position. Should the Steelers intend to deploy Ramsey as their true free safety, early struggles could be expected with him playing a new position.
There’s a more immediate concern, including his recent spike in missed tackles. Ramsey is still a solid tackler, but his missed tackle rate has more than doubled from 2022. That season, Ramsey’s missed tackle rate was just over three percent. In 2024, it was over 14 percent.
From a pure coverage perspective, Ramsey is an upgrade if and when they deploy him at nickel or out wide. Safety wise, though, there could be some dips and troughs.
Could Juan Thornhill be the answer at safety?
Juan Thornhill is a pure safety, which should put him atop their depth chart, at least at the start of training camp. His missed tackle rate was 9.3 percent in 2024. To compare, Fitzpatrick had a missed tackle rate of just four percent in 2024. Even though Thornhill boasts the most career experience at the position, that doesn’t necessarily make him an ideal option for the team. The viral moment in a matchup featuring the Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints where Thornhill faced questions over his lack of effort during the game also didn’t do him any favors.
Depending on how the safety position group performs in the early part of training camp, there are some veteran alternatives to further bolster depth, or even present a starting option should the Steelers decide that Thornhill is better off in reserve:
• Julian Blackmon
• Justin Simmons
• Jordan Whitehead
• Marcus Williams
That’s a pretty strong group to pick from this late in the NFL off-season. Williams is the best out of the group, which unfortunately means he’s likely the most expensive. It would certainly be prudent for them to take an early look, as they have almost no depth at either of their safety positions. While there will be depth concerns with any team, the Steelers are one injury away from Miles Killebrew seeing significant snaps. The market is in Pittsburgh’s favor, which could mean they’re waiting for one of these players to lower their asking price.