The secondary of the Pittsburgh Steelers has undergone a pretty serious transformation this offseason. Out goes longtime starter, Cam Sutton, in comes future Hall of Famer, Patrick Peterson. More recently, there has been a changing of the guard at strong safety. Terrell Edmunds is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and Keanu Neal (along with Breiden Fehoko) is now the newest member of the Steelers' defense.
Credit: Brett Duke
New Steelers' safety, Keanu Neal.
While Damontae Kazee is the odds-on favorite to start alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2023, the addition of Neal adds a new layer of versatility to the defensive back room. Neal will be a welcome addition to the Steelers. However, is he a better overall player than Terrell Edmunds?
The Head To Head
Both Edmunds and Neal are physical safeties who play most effectively near the line of scrimmage. They are willing tacklers who have the capabilities of playing multiple positions such as a traditional two-high safety, dime linebacker, and slot corner. Edmunds, comparatively speaking, is a much better player in pass coverage. He does not necessarily have the interceptions or pass breakups to show for it, but has consistently improved his ability to cover receivers over each of his first five seasons in the NFL. Neal has never been particularly well-known for his ability to be a difference-maker against the pass. Fortunately for him, the Steelers already have a ball-hawking safety on the roster in the form of Damontae Kazee.
On the other hand, Neal is more of an effective player against the run. Over the course of his career, Neal has been designated as a "hybrid" safety/linebacker, due to his tremendous size and strength. He will most likely never be a starting-caliber player again, but will function well in obvious run situations as well as three-safety defensive schemes, a favorite of defensive coordinator, Teryl Austin. The trio of Fitzpatrick, Kazee, and Neal on the field together could prove to be effective for the team in 2023.
Associated Press
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin
The Steelers' Plan At Safety In 2023 May Be Unorthodox
Both Edmunds and Neal are similar in age, 26 and 27, respectively. Furthermore, while the exact details of Neal's two-year deal with the Steelers have yet to be released, one would assume that it would fall in the same neighborhood in annual salary as the one-year contract Edmunds signed with the Eagles, which came in at $2 million. Edmunds is by far the more durable player, only missing three games over the course of his entire five seasons in Pittsburgh. Neal has struggled with injuries in the past, but was able to play in all 17 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, starting 8 of them.
So why would the Steelers elect to have Neal over Edmunds? The answer may be a bit more complicated than it seems at face value. Edmunds, during his time in Pittsburgh, was an every-down player for the Steelers. He very rarely came off the field, playing upwards of 90% of the defensive snaps in each season he played. In all likelihood, this will not be the same with Neal. Ultimately, he may end up splitting a majority of his playing time with fellow safety, Damontae Kazee.
Therefore, a better question to the debate between Edmunds and Neal may be, "does the combined play of both Damontae Kazee / Keanu Neal serve as an upgrade over Terrell Edmunds?" Interestingly enough, the two should be used to splitting play time as they were teammates with the Atlanta Falcons from 2017-2020.
Credit: atlantafalcons.com
Falcons' safeties, Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the Steelers will miss the durability and consistency brought to the table by Terrell Edmunds. However, the combination of play between both Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal will provide more of a spark to the Steelers' defense in 2023. Kazee compares favorably to Edmunds in pass coverage. Additionally, Neal is a better run defender than the former Steelers' safety. On paper, the move makes sense. However, it may be difficult for the Steelers during the beginning part of next season to figure out exactly how they want to divide snaps between the two players. Remain patient, Steelers' fans. Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin know what they're doing.
Alright, yinz! What do you think about the idea of Kazee and Neal splitting snaps in 2023? Do you view this as an upgrade over Terrell Edmunds? Would you still want the team to draft a safety with one of their first few picks in the 2023 NFL Draft? Let's hear it in the comments!
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