Should the Steelers select a safety in the 2022 NFL Draft?

With each Big Board article this spring, the BTSC Big Board crew will be publishing a second article complementary to that respective portion of the big board. This week, we are going over this year’s class of safeties and whether or not the Pittsburgh Steelers will want to draft that position in April.

If you have thoughts as to whether or not the Steelers should draft an safety, let us know in the comment section below. Let’s see what our resident draft analysts have to say.

Ryland B.: At the time of this writing, the Steelers have yet to sign a starting-caliber safety in free agency. But that remains the smartest and most likely option. I’d be very happy if the Steelers brought back Terrell Edmunds or even signed Tyrann Mathieu if it was at a reasonable price tag. If they do choose to go the draft route, I think Lewis Cine from Georgia could be an intriguing option if he’s available in the second round. Cine is a fantastic run-stuffing safety with great athleticism. He can struggle in coverage but has all the tools to succeed with some good coaching. Given that Cine still has some holes in his game, I’d want the team to sign an affordable veteran safety as a contingency plan if Cine’s development takes longer than expected. Cine may be a risky pick, but his upside is undeniable.

Being forced to draft a starting safety this year just isn’t ideal, and bringing back Terrell Edmunds seems like the best option for the team, especially as it would open up the draft to other options. In this scenario, a day 3 flier on a safety could still be worth it to give the positional group some depth.

Andrew Wilbar: I am still hopeful that the Steelers bring back Terrell Edmunds, because I do not see a ton of great options to replace him. Jalen Pitre and Jaquan Brisker could both be in play at 52, but Nick Cross seems the most likely safety for the Steelers to draft early. He has the athleticism the Steelers tend to prefer in their safeties, and he is from a program the Steelers have scouted heavily in recent memory. Nonetheless, the best scenario would be to bring back Edmunds and grab one or both of Quentin Lake and Isaiah Pola-Mao later in the draft. Both guys would provide excellent depth at the safety position.

Jeremy Betz: The Steelers should be very much in the mix for an athletic, versatile young safety on Day 2 or 3. I’m on record as a big fan of Maryland Terp Nick Cross. He’s a fast, physical player with position flexibility. If drafting a safety that early isn’t part of Pittsburgh’s plan, maybe a legacy player like Quentin Lake or Isaiah Pola-Mao catches their eye later on Day 3.

Do you think the Steelers should acquire an safety this offseason? If so, when and how should they do it? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll and commenting down below.