Film Room: Robert Spears-Jennings Is Already A Special Teams Menace (And Maybe More)

The Pittsburgh Steelers kept all 10 of their rookie draft picks and an undrafted free agent at roster cutdowns. But only seven of them dressed for the team’s Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. Who had the biggest impact of the bunch? That would be seventh-round safety Robert Spears-Jennings.

The Steelers may have already found a special teams menace in Spears-Jennings—and perhaps much, much more.

According to Pro Football Focus, 25 total special teams tackles were enough to lead the NFL last season. Spears-Jennings already had three in his rookie debut.

Here was his most impressive one of the game: pancaking a blocker and getting back up to make a tackle on the kick coverage team.

As a gunner on the punt coverage unit, his speed is almost impossible for blockers to deal with. He was the first down the field by a mile more often than not. He needs to learn to come in under control to avoid missed opportunities, but he’ll make plenty of tackles (or force fair catches) with his speed alone. He could have had the league lead in ST tackles with four if not for a miss.

Coverage comes naturally to defensive players, but what about blocking? Spears-Jennings gives just as much effort in that area, and already has the savvy of a veteran. Watch him direct Kaden Wetjen on which way to go before laying a textbook airplane block to avoid a penalty.

He also made other impressive plays, including a block on the punt return unit that made his man the last one downfield. His effort is always at 100 percent, and his technique is impressive for such a young pro. Here’s a full edit of all his best ST plays from Week 1.

He hasn’t played a snap on defense yet in the regular season, but there was plenty to like in the preseason. And he made a number of plays coming downhill to tackle the catch or provide run support.

The traits that make him great on special teams can translate to safety, and we’ve already seen some of that during the preseason. His performance earned him a game ball in his first-ever NFL regular-season game.

NFL analyst Trevor Sikkema had him as a top-100 prospect after the 2024 season. His stock clearly fell after 2025, but the 2024 season may have been a more accurate reflection of his potential. If so, the Steelers may have landed one of the biggest steals of the 2026 draft class. The early returns are encouraging.