Steelers Get Honest About Why They Drafted Safety Robert Spears-Jennings

The Pittsburgh Steelers executed a very clear vision throughout the 2026 NFL Draft: load up on players that can develop as a backup and become a key contributor in future years. That was the case for nearly every single pick, and that includes seventh-round safety Robert Spears-Jennings. That position group is pretty full, but he has upside as a versatile defensive back, as well as the ability to be a four-phase guy on special teams. It may take a few years to see him become a regular contributor as he works on his craft behind the scenes. 

It came out recently that the Steelers were specifically targeting players like him in the draft. Secondary Coach Joe Whitt Jr. told Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette exactly what the team was looking for and why it decided to select Spears-Jennings.

"Speed, that’s something we can’t coach," Whitt said. "You want to be able to have guys that have range and have the ability to shrink the field horizontally and vertically with their speed. So that’s just something that we can’t coach. We can put their eyes in the right spot, but we can’t make them run fast."

Spears-Jennings officially ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the 2026 Scouting Combine, and that officially put him on Pittsburgh's radar. Obviously, that aspect of the game does not mean he will automatically be a great player, but it certainly helps. As Whitt said, he and the other defensive coaches can work on his mechanics and ability to read the field, but they can't shave time off his 40-yard dash. 

If there's anything to show that Spears-Jennings can put the work in and become a quality defensive back, it's his journey to the NFL Combine. Fittipaldo spoke about how the safety hired speed coach Yo Murphy to help him out on that front. With the new coach's help, he was able to shrink his time from 4.54 to 4.32. Without Murphy's help, who knows if he would have even been signed as an undrafted free agent, let alone actually drafted.

The Steelers do need more speed on defense, as much of the secondary is veteran players that are either beyond 30 years old or approaching that age very quickly. Even with all the solid defensive backs on the roster, there needs to be some youth to balance everything out in case one or more of these guys end up slowing down with age. It was the perfect time to bring in a developmental piece. 

Steelers Will Have Intriguing Competition In Training Camp

Spears-Jennings' spot on the 53-man roster is far from guaranteed. He will be competing with veteran free agent acquisition Darnell Savage to fill in that last spot. The good news is that the seventh-round rookie will have plenty of mentoring from the three other veterans at the position, so he will have plenty of chances to prove that he deserves to play more than Savage. 

With Savage slowing down due to recent injury issues, he likely wouldn't see a lot of special teams action. Even with a new coaching staff, the Steelers still value that facet of the game, and Spears-Jennings would be the perfect gunner. That gives him a massive edge in this battle, and it makes it much easier to keep a project player that may not be good at defense just yet on the roster for his rookie season.

What do you think about the Steelers seemingly drafting Spears-Jennings in the seventh round just because he's fast? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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