Steelers All 90: SS Vet Miles Killebrew in Three-Way Battle, Spot Uncertain
All 90 is a Pittsburgh Steelers Now series profiling each of the 90 members of the Steelers 2022 offseason roster.
28 • Miles Killebrew, seventh-year safety, Southern Utah
6-foot-2, 222 pounds
Acquired: Signed by the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent on March 24, 2021.
Last season: Played in all 17 games for the Steelers, almost exclusively on special teams. He was a key part of that unit, playing in 68% of the team’s special teams snaps. His one role on defense was as a heavy package defensive back, coming on in place of one of the outside cornerbacks when a team had just one wide receiver on the field, usually in a goal-line situation. He finished with 13 tackles, one for a loss.
Career: Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Lions, Killebrew has played 15 or more games in all five of his NFL seasons and has become a consistent special teams performer.
He saw his most extensive playing time on defense in 2017, when he made three starts and finished with a combined 38 tackles. In 2020, Played in 15 games for the Detroit Lions, with all of his playing time coming on special teams. Killebrew had 12 tackles on the season and was not retained after hitting free agency. Killebrew has played as a deep safety, a box safety and as a linebacker.
College: Spent five years at Southern Utah University, redshirting in 2011 before becoming a regular starter at strong safety in 2011. Finished as a four-time All-Big Sky selection.
Camp outlook: The Steelers could certainly use Killebrew’s special teams presence once again, but there’s more competition for a spot on the 53-man roster this year. The team has usually only kept two backup safeties, and Killebrew will be battling former NFL starters Damontae Kazee and Karl Joseph, as well as versatile second-year player Tre Norwood for one of those spots.
There’s also a logjam at inside linebacker, so it doesn’t seem likely the Steelers will move him there, as the team has five returners and added Myles Jack and Mark Robinson to that position.
Future: Killebrew’s one-year contract runs out at the end of the season, after which he’ll once again be an unrestricted free agent.
The rest of the 90:
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