Examine: How Will New Items Of The Steelers Secondary Match?

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary has undergone a number of modifications this offseason, with key additions and an enormous subtraction with the commerce of security Minkah Fitzpatrick. The purpose of the article is to have a look at profession snap alignments and see how the items may match for 2025.

First, I’ll take a look at the most recent Steelers, beginning with CB Jalen Ramsey. He has a repute for being versatile, although his skillset as a shutdown outdoors CB all through his profession has been atop that listing.

Right here’s a visible of his profession place alignments, breaking these snaps down by extensive cornerback, slot cornerback, field security, and free security:

This provides clear context to Ramsey’s utilization over his nine-year profession so far. The black bars characterize extensive cornerback snaps, illustrating that’s the place he’s performed most of his profession. This was notably the case in his early years with Jacksonville. Of the opposite alignments, slot CB was far much less, however his second-highest utilization.

In 2019, his first season with the Rams, issues appeared very related. Then, from 2020-2022, Ramsey moved round with extra versatility, notably within the slot and taking part in within the field. The outcomes have been largely robust for the seven-time Professional Bowler, who was a cog of their Tremendous Bowl championship.

That 2021 common season featured his most versatile utilization, particularly having probably the most slot (325) and field (131) snaps of any yr so far. Ramsey was additionally a three-time All-Professional choice, together with this 2021 season, together with 2017 and 2020. So, there may be confirmed success that’s encouraging to be a flexible chess piece in Pittsburgh’s secondary.

The exception is at free security. Some have speculated that Ramsey may play extra as a real deep security after the exodus of Fitzpatrick. Whereas I’m not questioning if Ramsey may excel there, the chart clearly paints an image of this being a projection. Within the final 5 seasons, he has simply 27 free security snaps in complete. That averages to five.4 snaps per season.

Earlier in Ramsey’s profession, we see a bit extra free security utilization. In his second and third seasons as a Jaguar, he had 57 and 40 free security snaps, so that is fairly some time in the past and much from a quantity that instills absolute confidence in what it may seem like for the Black and Gold in 2025.

On paper, I wouldn’t mission his free security snaps to skyrocket unexpectedly, however moderately be a slot/field participant when he isn’t out extensive on an island.

The subsequent participant that I’ll take a look at that Pittsburgh added this offseason is CB Darius Slay:

Equally, Slay’s utilization has vastly been at extensive nook, with free security just about non-existent over his 12 years so far. In totality, he has a minuscule 14 profession free security snaps, principally one snap per season. There have been a few years the place he broke the 100-snap mark within the slot (2018, 2019) with Detroit, however his steadier and second-highest utilization got here within the field.

Slay is a six-time Professional Bowler (2017-2019, 2022-2024), one-time All-Professional (2017), and a Tremendous Bowl champion final season with Philadelphia. He’s very spectacular, and when he was utilized extra throughout the secondary (notably with the Lions), he nonetheless performed at a excessive stage.

The Eagles saved him on the surface much more, particularly seeing a lower in slot alignment, with field snaps being the second-most, clearly. Ramsey and Slay shouldn’t have robust resumes when it comes to free security expertise, vastly extensive cornerbacks with extra slot and field snaps, which appear extra more likely to proceed.

Whereas he hasn’t gotten the identical buzz as these males, a 3rd offseason addition was S Juan Thornhill. Right here’s an analogous view of his expertise:

Of the most recent Steelers, Thornhill has probably the most free security expertise by far in his six years within the NFL. His private accolades (no Professional-Bowls) are naked in comparison with Ramsey and Slay, however he has two Tremendous Bowl rings on his fingers after the 2019 and 2022 common seasons in Kansas Metropolis. Notably, these years featured his most complete snaps, and at free security.

If Pittsburgh decides to make the most of the brand new items primarily based on previous expertise, Thornhill can be the clear choice to fill Fitzpatrick’s vacated free security function. This could enable Ramsey and Slay to principally proceed taking part in the opposite secondary spots (extensive CB, slot CB, field) as they’ve carried out all through their careers.

Then there’s the query of how the returning secondary for the Steelers will mesh with the brand new. This desk has all the prime projections for the 2025 Steelers secondary, viewing profession snaps by alignment. I additionally included complete snaps of the 4 secondary spots, variety of seasons, prime alignment percentages for every, and sorting is TOP PCT by place:

Many of the group in all probability lands the place you’ll anticipate of their prime alignments. In comparison with what some are speculating this offseason, issues may match cleaner than the priority from some about how the chess items will match.

Having Slay, Porter, and Ramsey, maybe probably the most spectacular CB trio within the NFL for 2025, is a improbable luxurious. When all three are on the sector, I’d anticipate Ramsey to man the slot place, contemplating he has probably the most expertise there and his skillset as a plus run defender/cross rusher on prime of his protection talents.

I would like to maintain Ramsey near the road of scrimmage moderately than transfer him to security, as some have advised. This might make for a nasty duo with Elliott, wreaking havoc on opposing offenses in that space of the sector. In dime protection, Beanie Bishop Jr. may cowl one other slot, hopefully constructing on some good moments from his rookie season.

Pittsburgh is lucky (for my part) to have safeties with snap versatility as properly. Elliott has performed free security probably the most in his profession, although field and slot have been his main spots in a superb yr one with the Steelers. Thornhill has a little bit of that, too, and will make for much less stagnation for the protection in 2025.

Whereas Pittsburgh misplaced a giant piece in Fitzpatrick, the previous couple of seasons weren’t on the elite stage that he’s able to. The way in which the Steelers have reworked the room has improved their general depth, choices, and predictability within the secondary. Let’s hope so, and that it’s plain en route to creating noise within the postseason.