Ladies and gentlemen, Pittsburgh Steelers' General Manager Omar Khan has done it again. The Steelers have recently agreed to terms with safety, Keanu Neal and nose tackle, Breiden Fehoko. While neither of those two players are household names, they will add valuable depth to positions of need. Furthermore, the addition of veteran players to positions such as safety and nose tackle allows the Steelers to keep their options open in the 2023 NFL Draft. Khan can instead focus on truly selecting the best player available and help transform the roster into a serious contender for the AFC North title next year.
Photo by: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Chargers' NT, Breiden Fehoko
How Keanu Neal Impacts The Steelers In 2023
Keanu Neal has had a pretty interesting career thus far. Drafted in the first round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, he enjoyed immediate success as he amassed over 100 total tackles in each of his first two seasons. An ACL tear in the opening game of 2018 shut him down for the entire season and he was not fully healthy until the beginning of the 2020 season where he bounced back nicely, playing in 15 games and making 100 total tackles. Neal is widely regarded as an "in the box" safety, meaning that he typically plays closer to the line of scrimmage. He even has experience playing linebacker. During the 2021 season with the Dallas Cowboys, Neal played in 14 games as an inside linebacker.
While Neal's exact role (and perhaps even position) have yet to be firmly established, he will more than likely not be called upon to start in 2023. This is not to say that Neal will not have a big impact on the Steelers' defense next season, as his physical play will complement the ball-hawking skills of fellow safety, Damontae Kazee incredibly well. His play style is very similar to that of former Steelers' safety, Terrell Edmunds. He will likely be called upon to serve in a similar capacity to that of Edmunds, playing dime linebacker in addition to his responsibilities as a safety. Assuming he can stay healthy in 2023, Neal's versatility may be just what the Steelers need to help round out their secondary.
Neal being viewed as depth, not starter. https://t.co/SyBkDaGpld
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) March 30, 2023
Breiden Fehoko: An Old-School Nose Tackle
Breiden Fehoko's Steeler jersey will not be the most popular one worn by fans next year at Acrisure Stadium, but what he will do is help the Steelers' defense stop the run, which is something the team improved significantly on in the 2022 season compared to the 2021 season. His career stats are far from impressive, only notching 36 total tackles and one tackle for loss.
However, it is important to keep in mind that the impact of a nose tackle often does not show up in the stat sheet. Keep in mind that one of the best nose tackles in the history the black and gold, Casey Hampton, finished his career with only nine sacks. He disrupted the game by commanding double teams from interior defensive linemen and allowed players such as James Farrior and Larry Foote to make tackles. Hampton truly is one of the most underrated Steelers of all time.
Credit: Getty Images
Pittsburgh Steelers Casey Hampton
This is not to say that Fehoko will have the same type of career as Hampton, but he certainly is asked to do the same types of things in the Steelers' 3-4 defensive scheme. Fehoko will not immediately be awarded the team's starting nose tackle job as Montravius Adams had a solid 2022 season. However, if Fehoko performs well in training camp and stays healthy, he may just find himself starting alongside Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi in 2023. Take look at Fehoko in action in a matchup against Pro-Bowl Center, Ben Jones during a game against the Tennessee Titans in 2022.
The newest steeler breiden fehoko #steelers #herewego #breidenfehoko #nfl pic.twitter.com/F5gld7NQSQ
— matthew luciow (@Luciow1992) March 30, 2023
2023 NFL Draft: How These Two Signings Provide The Steelers Much Needed Flexibility
The signings of both Neal and Fehoko are only the latest players who have filled much needed holes on the Steelers' roster heading into the 2023 NFL Draft. At this point, the organization has very minimal glaring needs that they need to address immediately. Some may say that the Steelers still desperately need to address the left tackle and cornerback position, but Dan Moore at left tackle showed significant improvement last season compared to his rookie campaign, and the addition of Patrick Peterson at cornerback will help fill the void left behind by Cam Sutton signing with the Detroit Lions.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Falcons' Safety, Keanu Neal
The Steelers are in an incredibly unique situation with their first-round and two second-round picks in the NFL Draft. They have the ability to add a playmaker at essentially any position, offense, or defense. Could they find their long-term answer at left tackle in the form of Paris Johnson Jr. or Darnell Wright? Possibly add a lockdown corner in the form of Joey Porter Jr. or Devon Witherspoon? Could they go completely outside of the box and add a player such as Jordan Addison or Michael Mayer? All are viable options. All were made possible by the signings of players such as Neal and Fehoko who will help fill out the Steelers roster. Hats off to you, Omar Khan. The 2023 NFL Draft cannot come soon enough.
Thoughts, Steeler Nation?
How do we feel about the additions of these two players? How do you feel as if they change the Steelers' plans heading into the 2023 NFL Draft? Do you foresee Omar Khan making any more big-time
moves in the next few days? Let's hear it in the comments!
#SteelerNation
