Steelers Have An Unlikely Candidate Putting Up A Fight For Snaps At Slot Cornerback

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a lot of needs throughout their roster that had to be addressed going into the 2024 offseason. A lot of the more pressing needs included wide receiver, center, tackle, and quarterback. The quarterback position quickly got upgraded when Omar Khan signed Russell Wilson and traded for Justin Fields, but the wide receiver position became more of a need after the organization traded away Diontae Johnson. Moves like these overshadowed a true hole in Pittsburgh's roster, which comes at slot cornerback. 

Pittsburgh often deployed Chandon Sullivan, Elijah Riley, Keanu Neal, and Patrick Peterson as their slot cornerback during the 2023 season. As of now, none of those four players are under contract with the Steelers for 2024. Pittsburgh also didn't address the defensive back position until the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, when they selected Ryan Watts. Pittsburgh is now charged with finding the best man for the role, which Defensive Backs Coach, Grady Brown, spoke about on Wednesday.

"Think about all the reps that other guys were able to receive before Cam [Sutton] got here. So Beanie [Bishop] got a lot of reps, Joe Scott got a lot of reps, TG, Thomas Graham got a lot of reps. So I think it's a good group of guys for the slot position."

Pittsburgh went out and signed a familiar face in Cam Sutton, but that doesn't mean he has locked up the starting role. He has been out of the system, and the position, for a full season. With the Detroit Lions, Sutton was forced to be play outside cornerback, which he struggled at. Sutton also has some legal issues unfolding off of the field, which will likely result in him missing a few games in 2024 due to suspension. 

It's unclear how many games Sutton will miss, but his inevitable suspension and poor play in 2023 means the guys behind him need to be ready to go. Pittsburgh signed Beanie Bishop as an undrafted free agent, who has been a fan favorite and has shown promise. Meanwhile, a guy like Thomas Graham Jr. is also given a chance to make his mark and make the final roster.

Graham was drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, but was waived ahead of the 2022 season. He then signed with the Cleveland Browns, but was released during the 2023 season. He signed a futures contract with Pittsburgh after 2023. 

Graham doesn't have a ton of experience in his NFL career, as he has played in just 11 games. His career stats are far from spectacular, recording 4 pass break ups and 19 total tackles. He has struggled to stay on an active roster in both of his first two stops, and is looking to take advantage of the Steelers' needs at the position to crack the 53-man roster. 

As of now, it seems as though Graham is still far away from being a threat to start in the slot. He has guys like Sutton, Bishop, and Josiah Scott in front of him. If he can make some noise in training camp, he may prove to be a quality depth piece Pittsburgh should keep around in the secondary.

Steelers Could Still Add At Cornerback

Pittsburgh seems to be set with their starters at the outside corner spots in Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson, but the depth behind them is a bit questionable. Sutton could move outside, but he showed he isn't comfortable playing there in 2023. The other players who could relieve Porter Jr. or Jackson include Darius Rush and Cory Trice Jr. Neither candidate has a ton of NFL experience, with Trice never even seeing an NFL field after suffering a season-ending injury during training camp in 2023. 

Rush has a few snaps under his belt, but not enough to rely on him to play meaningful downs. Bringing back a veteran like Peterson would make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh, mainly due to his experience and versatility at most positions in the secondary. He could come onto the field on the outside or in the slot and hold his own.

What do you think of the Steelers' current cornerback room? Comment below.

#SteelerNation