The Steelers Hosted This Undersized, Gritty Safety, But Is He Too Much Of A Risk In Day 3 Of The Draft?

Welcome to the pre-draft season, Pittsburgh Steelers fans! Leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft starting on April 27th, we will be releasing draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves in Pittsburgh.

Steelers’ Draft Prospect: Tanner Ingle (Safety), North Carolina State, Redshirt Senior

OVERVIEW: The state of the Steelers’ safety room remains relatively bare compared to last year. Although there is Minkah Fitzpatrick locked in the free safety position, his potential running mate is not yet confirmed for 2023. Five-year starter Terrell Edmunds took the Pennsylvania Turnpike east to join the Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the spring. Meanwhile, Damontae Kazee agreed to a contract extension keeping him in Pittsburgh through the 2024 season. Beyond Kazee, however, is a looming question mark. Tre Norwood remains on the depth chart, but more depth is needed heading into camp. The Steelers were able to acquire Keanu Neal who is technically listed as a safety, but he plays more of a hybrid role between a linebacker and a safety. 

Head Coach Mike Tomlin has made it clear he looks for elements of versatility when evaluating young defensive back prospects. That includes both safety and cornerback roles. We saw this in the selection of Norwood in 2021 when Tomlin described him as being a “Swiss army knife." If we look at who the Steelers have hosted heading into the draft, there are a pair of safeties they met with earlier this month. One of which brings some versatility to his skill set, but not only on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s get to know Tanner Ingle.

PROS: Ingle brings a “do it all” mentality to the safety position. He isn’t afraid to stick his nose close to the line of scrimmage to help the run defense. On the backend, he isn’t afraid to square up against bigger receivers and contest passes. Ingle brings a unique blend of being able to play press-man coverage and zone coverage in different areas of the field. Ingle possesses an impressive ability to change direction in coverage and keep his hips square to the receiver. He moves with fluidity out of press coverage to maintain his position against moving receivers.

Ingle also has good instincts in coverage. He is able to quickly diagnose screenplays and break to the receiver before they have a chance to make a move up the field. In zone coverage, he is able to hold his zone and break on an underneath receiver to prevent any yards after the catch. In addition, Ingle has above-average ball skills. He is able to time his jump and hand positioning just right to make contact with the ball before the receiver has a chance to make the catch. 

Ingle’s glimmers of versatility come in the form of a contributor on special teams. In his sophomore season in 2019, Ingle spent some time as a kick returner. He fielded six kicks for 99 total return yards. The Steelers’ kick and punt returner roles have yet to be decided and Tomlin and the Steelers have to appreciate that aspect of his game. While Ingle played more defense than returners in 2023, 2021 and 2022 seasons, he’s shown he’ll do whatever it takes to earn a roster spot.

CONS: Ingle is undersized for an NFL safety. He’s listed at 5’10” and weighs 186 pounds. For reference, Norwood clocks in at 6’0” and weighs 194 pounds. His size definitely limits his ceiling at the next level and he’ll need a supporting cast to help him. In addition, that size plays into his below-average tackling ability. He is able to make the first hit on a ball carrier but often needs help in getting them to the ground. In his last two seasons, Ingle tallied 82 solo tackles, but 83 assisted tackles. That approximate 50-50 split could be a concern for scouts.

Ingle’s eagerness on defense also needs improvement. He tends to get overzealous in coverage and bites on play-action and misdirection plays. In turn, he doesn’t possess elite-level speed so he gets lost in the play and allows for his man to break open. Ingle’s coordination with the rest of the defense is also suspect. He tends to play out of sync with the other ten players on defense and gets lost in coverage as a result. It is Ingle’s size, lack of tackling ability, and lack of top-level speed that leaves him at the bottom of a lot of draft boards.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Seventh Round to UDFA

This year’s safety class in the draft is much weaker than years past. With Brian Branch being the only prospect considered within the top 50 picks, this will force others to drift to the bottom of a lot of boards. Not to mention, with there being a decent number of prospects who could be considered “value picks” in the middle rounds, Ingle’s name may fall off a lot of teams’ radars as the draft progresses. Ingle would be a project for whoever drafts him and that will play into his draft spot. He can be considered a seventh-round pick or a possible undrafted free agent signing after the dust has settled.

VERDICT: It is odd that the Steelers, being a team in need of some help in the secondary, have only visited with two safety prospects. This is a clear indicator that they are comfortable with the talent they have in the building and will probably be looking elsewhere throughout the draft process. However, the Steelers seem to like to dip themselves into the talent pool at North Carolina State. But the question remains; does an undersized Ingle have an opportunity to succeed in Pittsburgh?

For the Steelers, Ingle may find himself on the outside looking in as the seventh round comes to a close. In a division that is known for the tough, gritty, power-versus-power matchups, Ingle doesn’t necessarily fit that mold. It is his size and inability to make solo tackles that concerns me, especially when considering using a draft pick on him. In the later picks, I may look towards other value prospects at other positions ahead of Ingle. But he would be a great addition as an undrafted free agent rookie to bring into camp and let him prove himself before turning him away for good.

Where do you see Ingle going in April?  Would you want to see him in the black and gold?  Let us know in the comments!

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