A yr in the past, robust security DeShon Elliott didn’t draw the headlines. He wasn’t the flashiest identify nor largest addition. Linebacker Patrick Queen landed a far bigger contract. Quarterback Russell Wilson dominated nationwide media roundtables. However by the point 2024 ended, DeShon Elliott could possibly be argued because the Pittsburgh Steelers most shrewd and finest offseason pickup. One the Steelers have to maintain discovering.
Monday night time, Elliott inked a multi-year extension with the workforce, protecting him in Pittsburgh properly past the two-year, $6 million deal he signed forward of final season. With out query, he overplayed that tiny contract. Showing in 15 video games, he was a powerful and durable tackler able to laying large hits. He wasn’t reckless and made certain his impactful collisions didn’t come vulnerable to lacking the runner.
Our Josh Carney charted him for a single missed sort out. Professional Soccer Reference put him down for a 2.7-percent miss charge, lowest of the 53 NFL gamers who registered triple-digit tackles, as Elliott did together with his 108.
These metrically inclined will respect the top-ten run protection grade Professional Soccer Focus gave Elliott. He ranked tied with the Buffalo Payments’ Taylor Rapp for the highest tackling grade, an elite 90.6. No security over the past two seasons has graded increased.
A basic field security with the precise skillset wanted to thrive, Elliott was fearless and downhill. He learn performs properly, attacked, and completed. Runners merely didn’t escape his grasp.
Elliott isn’t elite in protection however made a handful of performs, together with an interception within the season opener. He was constant and trusted and missed within the two video games he missed with an harm. Numbers paint a broad image however within the 15 video games with Elliott, Pittsburgh allowed 17.4 factors and 88.5 speeding yards per recreation. Within the two with out, these numbers spiked to 30.5 factors and 175.5 speeding yards per recreation. Evening and day distinction.
Except for the odd social media gaffe, Elliott quietly went round his enterprise. He understood Steelers’ tradition from his first press convention, needing no time to purchase into what Pittsburgh requested him to do.
Elliott bar-raiser, pissed off and anticipating extra throughout the workforce’s shedding streak. Airing public grievances may not have been the optimum path however he gained’t shrink to a second or name out what must be finished to win. He’s not nor will he ever be a star, however he’s a distinct segment participant who is aware of his position and does it at a persistently excessive degree.
That’s the kind of signing Pittsburgh wants extra of. The under-the-radar free agent pickup on an inexpensive contract that the Steelers maximize. Even Elliott’s extension is a cheap deal that now locks him up past 2025, taking robust security off the workforce’s potential listing of wants in 2026. Listing of inside replacements had been skinny. A giant splash has its place and the Steelers have been extra aggressive in that regard.
However most of a roster is made up of small and mid-level offers. Discover the participant who possibly wasn’t the appropriate match elsewhere however has an ideal place in your workforce’s system. Pittsburgh discovered that in DeShon Elliott. It’s the mannequin the workforce should observe within the free companies to observe.
