This is the ninth in a series on the Steelers' roster as the team prepares to report to training camp at Saint Vincent College July 28. Today: Safety.
Safeties: Devan Boykin, Jaquan Brisker, Sebastian Castro, DeShon Elliott, Jack Henderson, Jalen Ramsey, Darnell Savage, Robert Spears-Jennings
It might be flying under the radar, but one of the Steelers' best additions for this season didn't come via trade or free agency or the draft.
The return of DeShon Elliott from an injury-ravaged 2025 is no small matter for the defense, and particularly the secondary. Elliott played in five games, but he left early in the first and the last, playing less than 45% of the defensive snaps in both.
Still, Elliott made an impact when he was on the field. He had 38 tackles, 20 of them solo, along with an interception, a sack and a few pass breakups. The Steelers went 3-2 with Elliott healthy, 2-1 when he played more than half the snaps.
Those knee and hamstring setbacks made it easy to forget that Elliott was coming off a career year in 2024 and on a mission for more. His 108 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries were a breath of fresh air for both the team and Elliott himself, in the wake of one-year stints in Detroit and Miami following his four-year Ravens tenure.
Seeing Elliott back in form and how new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham utilizes him will be an early story line at Saint Vincent College. Because as much as Elliott is known for his run support and hard hits, Jaquan Brisker and even Jalen Ramsey — who's listed as a cornerback but made the transition to safety when needed last season — also bring the thump.
That whole trio prides itself on physicality as defensive backs. Brisker actually was working with NFL legend and fellow Pittsburgh native Aaron Donald on pass-rushing moves this offseason, so he's preparing to make an impact from the box, if not on the line of scrimmage itself and eventually in opposing backfields.
While all three have skills that could make them capable of manning the post, that's the speciality of veteran free-agent signing Darnell Savage, and is right in the wheelhouse of rookie seventh-round pick Robert Spears-Jennings. Savage was a 4.36 40-yard dash speedster back in 2019 when he was a first-rounder, and Spears-Jennings ran a 4.32 at this year's combine.
With that should come an upgrade in backup options who have more range at the top of the secondary. Savage, who's still only 28, found himself bouncing from Jacksonville to Washington to Buffalo last season but has 10 career interceptions, plus one in the 2023 postseason with Green Bay.
Sebastian Castro is back after impressing on special teams in his rookie season as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa. Also, keep an eye on this year's Castro, Devan Boykin, an undrafted rookie from Indiana.
Boykin was a ball-hawk for the national champions in a hybrid safety/slot cornerback role. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Boykin had 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fumble. He also picked off three passes in his final season at N.C. State in 2023 before missing the ensuing year with a knee injury.
