Steelers Scenario Series, Part 10: Best and Worst Cases for the Safeties

The 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers roster is an intriguing mix of fresh talent and seasoned veterans on both sides of the ball, and each position group will have it’s own challenges to develop into an efficient, productive squad like the Front Office and Coaching Staff envision them to be. The Steelers don’t do hard resets and they never plan to be bad, and that philosophy brings with it the expectation for each group to provide winning level play every year.

With recent Draft picks looking to find their footing, new Free Agent and Trade acquisitions getting acclimated, and familiar faces returning for another year, there’s a lot of variables that play into fielding a winning roster. In this series, we’ll identify a “lynchpin” player (player who’s success or failure will most heavily impact the group) and a rising star for each position, as well as determine the best- and worst-case scenarios for the 2025 season based on the current roster.

Up next: Safeties

Click HERE for previous articles in series, including:

Offensive Line
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Defensive Line
Edge Rushers
Linebackers
Cornerbacks

ON THE ROSTER

DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew, Quindell Johnson, Sebastian Castro (R)

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Lynchpin Player: DeShon Elliott
Rising Star: DeShon Elliott

BEST CASE SCENARIO

Despite the departure of All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers piece together a surprisingly cohesive safety room built on versatility and steady play. Elliott, coming off an  underappreciate, but All-Pro worthy 2024 campaign in Pittsburgh, continues to thrive now as the leader in the room—showcasing range, toughness, and underrated instincts in the box, as well as rotating deep as needed. Thornhill complements him well, technically filling the Fitzpatrick role and functioning as a roaming chess piece in split-safety shells while offering veteran savvy and ball production. Miles Killebrew continues to be a special teams captain and situational box safety, keeping his niche secure. Castro, the rookie out of Iowa, impresses in camp and earns meaningful reps by midseason with physicality, sticky man-coverage traits, and an aggressive mindset near the line. Johnson adds depth as a rotational defender with some pop and flexibility in sub-packages. While another piece could be added to solidify the position closer to the season start, the group compensates its current lack of star power with well-defined roles, clean communication, and enough athleticism to hang with modern AFC passing attacks behind a potentially elite Front 7 and a deep CB room.

WORST CASE SCENARIO

Without Fitzpatrick’s range and playmaking, the Steelers’ last line of defense loses its teeth. Elliott is stretched too thin as a full-time free safety, exposing some limitations in deep coverage and route recognition. Thornhill looks more like a supplemental piece than a primary playmaker, and Pittsburgh struggles to find a true tone-setter in the middle. Killebrew’s role shrinks beyond special teams, while Johnson doesn’t show enough growth to take meaningful snaps. Castro, while promising, hits the rookie wall early and isn’t ready for consistent action. Miscommunications pop up too often in high-leverage moments, and the secondary suffers as a result—especially with corner depth being tested in man-heavy looks. The lack of turnover production and big-play prevention looms large, and the safety group’s quiet struggles ripple throughout the defensive spine.