The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a new face most likely manning one of the outside corner positions in 2022. The Steelers signed CB Levi Wallace early in the free agency period to a two-year deal. He joins a sneaky loaded secondary with CBs Ahkello Witherspoon, Cam Sutton, and safeties Terrell Edmunds, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, Levi Wallace (#29) practices at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex during the 2022 minicamp on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Friday, ESPN released an article naming all 32 NFL team's most underrated player on each roster, and Wallace was listed as the Steelers' representative. Here's what the article had to say about the Steelers' addition at cornerback:
"Wallace was an under-the-radar signing from Buffalo, where he turned in a strong 2021 season and allowed the Bills to survive the loss of Tre'Davious White to injury. Wallace was sixth in the NFL in yards per pass allowed, was 21st in coverage success rate and was a strong run defender as well. His numbers in a vacuum indicate an elite corner -- so why was he available in free agency for two years and $8 million?Part of it is the perception that the Buffalo defense was so strong Wallace went along for the ride. Part of it is that he played zone for the Bills and lacks man-scheme skills. And part of it is Wallace's background -- he walked on at Alabama and went undrafted. Buffalo has the players to replace him, while in Pittsburgh he immediately becomes the team's top corner."
The corner brings a lot of versatility in his skillset as well, which we all know the Steelers love! Wallace can play inside or outside. To him, it doesn't matter the position, he's ready!
“Football’s football. You’re still covering receivers. I played some inside back in Buffalo too so it’s nothing that is new to me and I accept the challenge.”
Pittsburgh Steelers CB Levi Wallace participates in team training in 2o22. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)
That's a Pittsburgh Steeler mentality! The corner just doesn't "seek comfort."
“Honestly, I’d never even heard of, like, ‘CB1’ or ‘CB2’ until recently. I thought corners were corners,” Wallace said with a smile, adding that it’s an overblown label. “Absolutely, I think so. I think Tre was obviously one of the best corners that we had, and he honestly was a ‘CB1,’ taking the number 1 receivers a lot of the time. But when he got hurt last year, I took a lot of them, and I’d guarded them before, too. That stuff doesn’t faze me.”
If Wallace can produce the way that he did in Buffalo in terms of coverage play, the Steelers' secondary will be just fine this season. The corner was recently listed as the NFL's 8th best player in coverage for the 2021 season. NFL.com's writer, Nick Shook said about the Steelers' corner:
“After earning a new deal with the Steelers in free agency, Wallace lands on this list for a few reasons. His targeted EPA is a strong -15.3, and his tight-window percentage of 27.2 is indicative of a corner who stays very close to the intended target and is ready to make a play.”“Wallace’s 10 passes defensed should come as no surprise, then, and he might have landed higher on this list had he finished with more than two interceptions (on 81 targets).”
He's always in position to make a play; look for the corner to try to produce more turnovers in the black and gold this season, especially since he is surrounded by a group of ballers on this Steelers defense!
What do yinz think about Steelers CB Levi Wallace being listed as the team's most underrated player for 2022? Sound off in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
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