PFF Unstable Metrics on Brisker, Ramsey and Elliott
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published July 8, 2026, 7:49 AM
Countdown to Latrobe
Training camp is where reputations are challenged and jobs are won. Every summer, a handful of players emerge from relative obscurity, veterans reinvent themselves, and position battles reshape the depth chart before Week 1 ever arrives.
Over the next several weeks, we’ll break down the projected Steelers starters one position at a time using PFF’s IQ Stable/Unstable metrics, traditional production, film study and NFL scouting principles.
The objective isn’t simply to tell you who is starting.
It’s to explain why.
Each day we’ll examine the traits that consistently translate to winning football, identify areas where players remain volatile, and discuss how those strengths and weaknesses fit into Mike McCarthy’s vision for the 2026 Steelers.
Some metrics will confirm what the eye already sees.
Others may challenge long-held opinions.
That’s the beauty of football. One statistic never tells the entire story, but when paired with film and context, it helps paint a much clearer picture.
Our countdown begins in the secondary with one of the Steelers’ deepest position groups. Jaquan Brisker, DeShon Elliott and Jalen Ramsey each bring a different skill set, giving Pittsburgh flexibility few teams possess.
Ourlads.com has Brisker and Elliott as the starting safeties with Ramsey starting at nickelback.
Brisker Unstable PFF Metrics
- 88th percentile in single coverage highlights legitimate man-to-man ability.
- 88th percentile tackling stability shows dependable finishing.
- 62nd percentile on extended plays demonstrates competitive consistency.
- 58th percentile under pressure indicates steady play when the pocket breaks down.
- 30th percentile in zone coverage remains the area with the most room for growth.
Jaquan Brisker isn’t a player with glaring flaws. He’s a player whose strengths and weaknesses are clearly defined. The PFF stability profile paints the picture of a safety capable of winning isolated matchups while still developing the consistency required to excel in every coverage shell.
The headline number is impossible to ignore: 88th percentile in single coverage.
That’s elite territory. Whether matched against a tight end, running back or slot receiver, Brisker has repeatedly shown he can survive without constant help. Defenses covet safeties who can erase matchups, and this metric suggests Pittsburgh can trust him in those situations.
His 88th-percentile missed tackle stability is another encouraging sign. Tackling is one of the most repeatable aspects of his game. He consistently gets ball carriers on the ground, an essential trait for a safety who often serves as the defense’s final line.
Where the evaluation becomes more nuanced is in zone coverage.
Brisker’s 30th percentile in Zone (ZUT) coverage suggests processing layered route combinations and reading the quarterback’s intentions isn’t as dependable as his man coverage ability. His 51st-percentile passer rating allowed reinforces that he’s been closer to average than dominant when playing the complete coverage picture.
The remaining metrics are solid. A 58th percentile coverage grade under pressure and 62nd percentile on plays lasting longer than three seconds indicate a defender who generally maintains his assignments when the play extends.
Brisker profiles as an attacking strong safety. He’s at his best playing downhill, matching receivers in man coverage, blitzing, and using his physicality. The next step isn’t becoming more athletic it’s becoming more instinctive in zone concepts. If his route recognition continues to improve, there’s little reason his overall coverage profile can’t catch up to his man-cover ability.
Elliott PFF Unstable Metrics
- 97th percentile on plays lasting over three seconds is an elite stability trait.
- 72nd percentile tackling stability reflects dependable finishing.
- 38th percentile in single coverage points to limitations in man assignments.
- 22nd percentile in zone coverage indicates inconsistency reading route concepts.
- 25th percentile passer rating allowed suggests coverage remains the biggest area for improvement.
At first glance, DeShon Elliott’s profile is uneven. Four of his six stability metrics fall below the 40th percentile, suggesting that much of his coverage production can fluctuate based on scheme, assignment and game situation. That doesn’t necessarily make him a bad player it means his strengths are more role-dependent than some of the league’s elite safeties.
The outlier is impossible to miss.
His 97th percentile on coverage snaps lasting longer than three seconds is exceptional. When the initial play breaks down and quarterbacks are forced to improvise, Elliott consistently stays connected to receivers and maintains discipline. Those are the “scramble drill” plays that often become explosive gains, yet Elliott has repeatedly shown the ability to survive them.
The rest of the profile paints a different picture.
A 38th percentile in single coverage, 22nd percentile in zone (ZUT) and 25th percentile in passer rating allowed suggest he isn’t the safety you want living on an island or carrying the burden of disguising complex coverage concepts. He’s far more effective when he’s allowed to play downhill, trigger against the run and attack the football rather than serving as a true coverage specialist.
The 72nd percentile tackling stability is another positive. Elliott has consistently been a reliable finisher, something every defense values from its strong safety.
Elliott wins with instincts, toughness and physicality, not elite coverage versatility. His profile says he’s best deployed close to the line of scrimmage, where he can fit the run, blitz and clean up underneath throws.
If you ask him to consistently erase receivers in man coverage or quarterback an intricate zone structure, the numbers suggest you’ll get more inconsistency.
Ramsey PFF Unstable Metrics
- 93rd percentile tackling stability shows elite reliability finishing plays.
- 87th percentile zone coverage highlights outstanding instincts and route recognition.
- 86th percentile on extended plays reflects exceptional scramble-drill awareness.
- 33rd percentile in single coverage suggests he’s no longer primarily a shadow corner.
- 31st percentile passer rating allowed reinforces that his greatest value today comes from versatility rather than living on an island.
The strongest part of Jalen Ramsey’s profile is his 93rd-percentile tackling stability. That’s elite. It confirms what the film has shown throughout his career he’s one of the most dependable tackling defensive backs in football. Whether he’s fitting the run, closing on a screen or finishing after the catch, Ramsey rarely leaves plays unfinished.
His 87th-percentile zone (ZUT) coverage is another major strength. Ramsey processes route combinations exceptionally well and understands spacing better than most defensive backs. That’s why many defenses have increasingly moved him inside, allowing his football IQ to impact more of the field.
The 86th percentile on plays lasting longer than three seconds is another encouraging trait. Once quarterbacks break structure, Ramsey remains disciplined, stays attached to receivers and rarely panics during scramble drills.
A 33rd percentile in single coverage and 31st percentile passer rating allowed suggest Ramsey is no longer the pure lockdown, travel-with-the-opponent’s-best-receiver corner he was early in his career.
That’s less an indictment of his ability than a reflection of how teams maximize him today. He’s become more of a complete defensive chess piece than a classic press-man corner.
Ramsey has transitioned from elite cover corner to elite defensive playmaker. His best football now comes when coordinators allow him to move around the formation, read quarterbacks, jump throwing lanes and support the run.
Who Wins Each Category?
The Steelers enter the season with three safeties who win in different ways. Rather than asking who is “best,” these PFF IQ Stable/Unstable metrics reveal where each player provides the most reliable production. Together, Jaquan Brisker, DeShon Elliott and Jalen Ramsey give Pittsburgh one of the NFL’s most versatile safety groups.
Metric Coverage w/ Pressure
- First: Brisker (58th)
- Second: Ramsey (45th)
- Third: Elliott (34th)
Coverage on Plays 3 Seconds
- First: Elliott (97th)
- Second: Ramsey (86th)
- Third: Brisker (62nd)
Single Coverage
- First: Brisker (88th)
- Second: Elliott (38th)
- Third: Ramsey (33rd)
Zone (ZUT) Coverage
- First: Ramsey (87th)
- Second: Brisker (30th)
- Third: Elliott (22nd)
Passer Rating Against
- First: Brisker (51st)
- Second: Ramsey (31st)
- Third: Elliott (25th)
Missed Tackle Stability
- First: Ramsey (93rd)
- Second: Brisker (88th)
- Third: Elliott (72nd)
By the Numbers
- Brisker: Wins 3 of 6 categories.
- Ramsey: Wins 2 of 6 categories.
- Elliott: Wins 1 of 6 categories but it’s an elite 97th-percentile trait.
What It Means
Brisker is the best pure man-cover safety of the trio and posts the strongest overall coverage profile.
Ramsey remains the defense’s most instinctive zone defender while continuing to be an elite, dependable tackler.
Elliott dominates one category the 97th percentile on extended plays showing exceptional discipline when quarterbacks leave the pocket and plays break down.
