Steelers' Patrick Peterson Calls Cornerback Group 'Dangerous' As He Bumps Levi Wallace To RCB

When the Pittsburgh Steelers opted to let Cam Sutton walk this offseason, it didn't take long to find his replacement. Within hours of Sutton agreeing to a three-year, $33 million deal with the Detroit Lions, the black and gold picked up free agent Patrick Peterson. The veteran cornerback spent ten seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before playing two with Minnesota Vikings. Throughout his career, Peterson made the Pro Bowl for eight consecutive seasons, and he earned three First-Team All-Pro honors. 

The Steelers Have A New And Improved Cornerback Room

In addition to Peterson, noteworthy names in the cornerback room include Levi Wallace, Joey Porter Jr and James Pierre. Wallace and Pierre are returning to the squad for their third and fourth NFL seasons, respectively. Porter Jr, on the other hand, is one of the big names acquired by General Manager Omar Khan in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the additions of both Peterson and Porter Jr this offseason, the Steelers have all of the right pieces for a strong cornerback group. 

With OTAs starting this week, fans have been closely monitoring the game plan with the new and improved cornerback group. Wednesday, Peterson spoke with the media on his current role. 

"As of right now, I'm left corner. There have been talks. Coach said he wants to obviously use me in a bunch of different positions. We haven't really hit on any of those topics yet, but I'm sure in the near future we'll start talking about things like that. Especially once we start getting into the thick of things in training camp." 

With Peterson on the left side, Wallace has been bumped to the right side. This isn't unfamiliar territory for Wallace, after spending his rookie season gaining experience as a right cornerback with the Buffalo Bills. Wallace's biggest competition will be Porter Jr coming in to compete for the starting role. 

The Steelers got a first-round talent in Porter Jr with a second-round pick. With Tomlin verbalizing that they would have been comfortable taking the talented cornerback at pick #17, the cherry on top is that they were able to wait until pick #32 and acquire Broderick Jones in the meantime. Porter Jr has stellar reviews thus far in Pittsburgh, with Peterson expressing excitement to be his mentor and teammate. 

"He's a young guy that wants the knowledge, he wants the information and when you have young guys like that you just can't help but to pour into them. I don't know how many more years I have left. You know he's a rookie. At some point the torch is going to passed to him. I just want to continue to help show him how to find his way."

With fresh faces at cornerback, it will be interesting to continue to monitor the next moves. Peterson briefly touched on the plan and mentality of the group. 

"Every guy in the room can play a different position. I believe that will make us that much more dangerous."

This isn't a new expectation in Pittsburgh. Sutton was highly commended for his versatility after switching to the outside in 2022 after four years of mostly playing in the slot. This supported the team and added to his value come free agency.

What are your hopes for the cornerback group this season? Will we see Porter Jr or Wallace in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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