Outside of signing Jaquan Brisker in free agency and drafting Robert Spears-Jennings out of Oklahoma in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers continued to have a need at safety ahead of voluntary OTAs, mandatory minicamp and eventually training camp in Latrobe.
Thanks to a minor move earlier in the week following the waiving of Cory Trice Jr., the Steelers addressed the need at safety — sort of — with the signing of former Michigan safety Makari Paige.
Paige, who spent the 2025 preseason with the New York Giants, now has a new spot in the NFL.
Listed at 6-foot-4, 208 pounds, Paige brings great size and versatility to the position. During the preseason, Paige showed the ability to play single high, split safety, slot corner and box safety for the Giants across 122 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
He played 55 snaps at free safety, 41 snaps in the box, and 23 in the slot. In 53 career games at Michigan, Paige finished with 135 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, and three interceptions, one of which came against Will Howard in Ohio State-Michigan in 2024.
So, what are the Steelers getting in Paige? Let’s dive into the film room, focusing on the 122 snaps from the preseason last year.
RUN DEFENSE
With his size, Paige profiles as a true box safety, one that can be that extra linebacker in the box to help with run defense, all while having the ability to handle some tight ends in coverage.
That’s the type of player he was at Michigan, and during the preseason with the Giants last summer that’s what he was asked to do. When he wasn’t in the box though, I was intrigued by his run defense and his ability to trigger downhill and attack the run.
Here against the New York Jets, watch how Paige flys downhill with force.
I’d like to see him wrap up a bit better instead of going for the big hit. Paige is credited with the tackle on the play, which is encouraging. He takes a good route to the football and finishes the play in the box.
Similar play here against the New England Patriots in the final preseason game of the summer.
He’s in the single-high role once again, and while he doesn’t drive downhill with force to make the play near the line of scrimmage, I did like the way Paige tracked the ball carrier, took a good angle and finished in the open field, shutting down the play for just a gain of 8 yards.
As the last line of defense, you have to make that play in space, and Paige did that when he was called upon.
This was Paige’s best play of the preseason, and it resulted in a loss of five yards against the Patriots.
Here in the slot at the snap, Paige does a great job of getting underneath the block from the receiver. Then, he splits the two pulling linemen and finishes with a great form tackle in the backfield for the loss of 5 yards.
That’s a heck of a play and shows he can live in the box when called upon as a run defender.
COVERAGE
In coverage during the preseason, Paige was charged with two receptions allowed on three targets for 17 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.
He wasn’t tested downfield much, or outside the numbers in a single-high look, but he flashed the ability to stick with tight ends and create tough throwing windows downfield.
Here against the Buffalo Bills in the preseason opener, Paige does a nice job of creating some contact with the tight end at the top of his route, slowing him down just enough. That allows Paige to undercut the crossing route, creating a difficult throw for the quarterback.
Paige isn’t the best in man to man and would be better suited in a zone scheme where he can sit and read the quarterback and feel routes around him. His change of direction skills are sloppy, as you can see the clunky footwork here trying to change directions.
As he labors to change directions, he puts himself in position to come downhill and make the tackle at the catch point.
But he doesn’t play with much force and slides right off the attempt, resulting in an ugly miss. He had two missed tackles in the preseason, per PFF tracking.
However, he did have an interception.
This is a heck of a grab by Paige and capped off a nice play overall.
He does well to plaster on the scramble drill, sticking with the receiver across the formation, all while keeping his eyes on the quarterback. From there, it’s all instincts and ball skills.
He’s able to see the errant throw and dives to get his hands on it for the interception.
Overall, the size is very intriguing with Paige. He profiles as a true strong safety, one that can live in the box as a solid backup to DeShon Elliott. But the struggles in coverage changing directions, along with some question marks about long speed and range in the secondary are concerning.
He has a chance to make some plays in the preseason, should he stick around, and could add some depth on special teams, too. For now, he has a chance to compete with Sebastian Castro, and will be a guy worth watching in Latrobe.
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