Steelers May Get Unexpected Early Contributions From A Rookie

The Pittsburgh Steelers took a very different approach in the 2026 NFL Draft compared to recent years. Instead of taking a ton of NFL-ready prospects, they took an approach that favors the future over the present. Mike McCarthy selected guys with a lot of raw talent who need time to develop. Some of the individuals are Max Iheanachor, Gennings Dunker, and Daylen Everette, as they all could be be stars one day, but, as of now, are viewed as projects. Pittsburgh has the oldest roster in the NFL, meaning it has plenty of established veterans, which makes it tough for rookies to contribute right away. 

Even with the draft class being full of raw talent, there are still some rookies expected to see significant snaps early. Germie Bernard is still in a battle for the wide receiver three spot with Roman Wilson. Even if Wilson is the "starter," Bernard will still see a good number of snaps. McCarthy's scheme uses lots of three-wide receiver sets, and if Bernard winds up as the fourth option, he will be the first in the rotation. 

Fifth-round pick Riley Nowakowski is listed as the starting fullback on the depth chart, and his snaps in the preseason indicated that he was as such. Nowakowski took the majority of the fullback snaps in training camp and in the exhibition bouts, and locked down his spot. Now that the initial 53-man roster is finalized, there is another rookie who is very likely to be called upon early due to injuries in the secondary. 

Chris Adamski of the TribLive recently wrote an article regarding Steelers rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings and the role he is now expected to have. With DeShon Elliott going to Injured Reserve (IR), Spears-Jennings will now find himself in rotation with Jaquan Brisker and Rayshawn Jenkins in the back end. 

"Although Jalen Ramsey certainly figures to take some snaps lined up in a traditional safety role, rest assured that against the Atlanta Falcons [in Week 1], the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Spears-Jennings will, at the very least, be part of the rotation in the Steelers' secondary along with Jenkins and Brisker," Adamski wrote. 

Spears-Jennings was a very intriguing player coming out of Oklahoma with his big frame and physicality. His best attribute, though, is his speed, as he ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He may not be the best player in coverage, but he has the size and attributes that make defensive coordinators salivate.

Jalen Ramsey spent all of training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and did not play a snap in the preseason. He's listed as the starting nickel corner, but his role likely will have no limits. He will play everywhere on the defense as he often does, and when he's not at safety, it will be Brisker, Jenkins, and Spears-Jennings. Even if Spears-Jennings only plays third downs or in dime looks, he will still exceed the role that he was expected to have. 

Steelers' Graham Has A Tough Task Ahead Of Him

While the Steelers possess the NFL's most expensive defense, their safety room is incredibly thin. Jenkins was an August signing, Brisker didn't see any preseason action due to injury, and he may need time to ramp up. Spears-Jennings is a seventh-round rookie who was thought to be on the roster bubble. 

Graham will need a game plan that protects the safeties and doesn't put the unit in vulnerable positions. Running lots of two-high shells and sticking with coverages that keep the safeties deep and aren't too complex. The starting secondary hasn't played a snap together yet and will need time to gel. If Joey Porter Jr. plays on Sunday, this will make things much easier. 

Poor safety play is much easier to hide than poor cornerback play, and when the first team is out there, Pittsburgh has one of the best starting cornerback tandems in the NFL. If safety does become a serious problem, Porter and Jamel Dean are good enough to make up for it. 

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