The Pittsburgh Steelers had the quantity and quality of selections possible to make the 2026 draft an elite class for the organization. It’s still a small sample, but the early returns from the group have been very good for the team.

Offensive tackle Max Iheanachor and wide receiver Germie Bernard have grown into starting roles. At cornerback, Daylen Everette started his first game in Week 5. On special teams, Kaden Wetjen is contributing as a returner.

But no rookie may be more impressive than seventh-round safety Robert Spears-Jennings. That’s what Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argued Saturday morning.

In fact, Knox called Spears-Jennings not only Pittsburgh’s top rookie but the team’s biggest surprise early in 2026.

“Late-round rookies often struggle to make the active rosters of playoff-caliber teams. However, former Oklahoma defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings, who was selected in the seventh round (224th overall), has done more than simply stick with the Pittsburgh Steelers,” wrote Knox.

“Spears-Jennings has filled a valuable rotational role over the first five weeks while also serving as a core special-teams player. He has played 25 percent of defensive snaps and 73 percent of special-teams snaps, while earning a reputation as a very physical defender.”

Similar to Everette, Spears-Jennings has started playing more snaps on defense over the past couple weeks. The safety experienced a breakout game in his first real defensive action versus the Cleveland Browns during Week 4.

Against the Browns, Spears-Jennings registered seven combined tackles, two pass defenses and an interception.

“Spears-Jennings has played over 50 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the last two games and has tallied 16 tackles and an interception on the season,” added Knox.

Steelers Rookie Robert Spears-Jennings Emerging as Big Surprise for Defense

For Pittsburgh sports fans who followed the Steelers throughout the summer, Spears-Jennings’s emergence will be less surprising. Head coach Mike McCarthy and the rest of the organization has been pretty high on Spears-Jennings, along with the rest of the team’s rookie class.

Still, the rookie safety getting on the field and showcasing what McCarthy and others described he was capable of is a terrific sign. Furthermore, any seventh-round pick doing that within the first half of his rookie season is impressive.

Spears-Jennings playing has been partially out of need. Veteran safety DeShon Elliott remains sidelined because of his 2025 knee injury, and the Steelers didn’t have a lot of safety depth entering this season. But with his opportunity, Spears-Jennings has played well.

The question going forward is whether he will continue to play more than half the team’s defensive snaps when Elliott returns. Elliott will miss Week 6 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he’s back at practice in limited fashion. It might not be long now before he’s back on the field.

Jaquan Brisker and Rayshawn Jenkins are Pittsburgh’s other safeties on the active roster. With a completely healthy lineup, pundits expected Elliott and Brisker to start. That expectation, though, could be changing with the emergence of Spears-Jennings.