Steelers Draft Lightning Fast Oklahoma Safety

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected an SEC safety with their penultimate pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Dec 19, 2025; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings (3) against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the CFP National Playoff First Round at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With their penultimate pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected a big-school safety with standout speed.

At No. 224 overall in the seventh round, the Steelers went with Oklahoma's Robert Spears-Jennings.

Spears-Jennings is the first safety of Pittsburgh's incoming rookie class and the second addition to the secondary next to Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette.

In 2025, Spears-Jennings recorded 59 tackles and an interception. He spent his entire collegiate career with the Sooners, posting a total of 178 tackles, five forced fumbles and two interceptions across 13 games.

Standing at just under 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Spears-Jennings ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis to go alongside a 1.51-second 10-yard split, 35-inch vertical jump, 10-foot, five-inch broad jump and 4.43-second 20-yard shuttle.

Oklahoma defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings (3) shows his disappointment after failing to get an interception during the NCAA college football game against Tennessee on November 1, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joe Whitt Jr. Discusses Addition of Spears-Jennings

Steelers assistant head coach Joe Whitt Jr. told reporters that Spears-Jennings' skill set stuck out to Pittsburgh and is someone the staff as a whole collectively likes.

"He had a skill set that we were looking," Whitt Jr. said. "We addressed different needs and different spots, but he's a kid that I personally like and we like this as a defensive staff."

In terms of his role, Whitt Jr. noted that Spears-Jennings' role isn't necessarily limited due to his speed.

"He's a guy that can play in the box," said Whitt. "He has the speed to play in high zones. So, he's not limited by anything from a skill set standpoint. But we'll use him depending on the guys around him."

Spears-Jennings joins a safety room in Pittsburgh that features the likes of DeShon Elliott, who missed a majority of the 2025 season due to knee injuries, and Jaquan Brisker, who signed a one-year deal worth $5.5 million with the team in free agency after spending the first four years of his career as a member of the Chicago Bears.

There's an opening for Spears-Jennings to see some snaps as a backup at the position as a rookie, with Sebastian Castro being the only other safety under contract at the moment outside of Elliott and Brisker.

Pittsburgh still appears set to sign former first-round pick Darnell Savage to a one-year contract, which was originally reported during the legal tampering period, but it's not official just yet.

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