In case you haven't noticed, the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary is going to look a little different in 2021 than it did in 2020. The Steelers' secondary in 2020 was one of the best they put out in the decade, but that doesn't mean the change is a bad thing.
I say the secondary will look different, but three of the four starters will remain the same. Joe Haden, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Terrell Edmunds all return to their starting roles to provide some continuity to the group. However, the right cornerback spot and the slot corner spot (which you could argue is a 5th starter) are going to be different, as well as the depth behind them.
This offseason, the Steelers lost former slot cornerback Mike Hilton to free agency, as well as released two-year starter, Steven Nelson.
They did manage to retain Cam Sutton on a two-year deal however, with the hopes he could transition to a full-time starter on the outside replacing the recently mentioned Nelson.
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Sutton may return to the slot in 2021, but that does not mean he also won't be playing on the outside as well. The Steelers have experimented in the summer and training camp with multiple different players in the slot to try and replace Hilton, but no one has seemed to lock up the spot just yet.
Antoine Brooks Jr., a 6th round pick by the Steelers in 2020, was one of the first to get a crack at the spot after transitioning from safety. He was just finally starting to get a grasp of the position when he went down with an injury that took him out for a couple weeks, although he did return to practice Wednesday.
Arthur Maulet was signed from the New York Jets this offseason, and he is someone that has experience at all positions in the secondary. However, he has not shown much throughout camp that would lead you to believe he is ready to be the full-time slot cornerback to start the season.
The lack of appealing options in the slot, paired with the continued improvement from James Pierre on the outside could likely lead to Sutton moving into the slot, a role he had success with in the past in terms of coverage.
At practice on Wednesday, Sutton took his first reps of training camp from the slot, and he seemed to be comfortable in coverage in that role.
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Now, just because Sutton may be playing in the slot when the Steelers go to their nickel defense, doesn't mean he won't still be a boundary corner in base. Sutton is still the leading candidate to start opposite Haden by a considerable margin, he just may be holding both inside and outside duties come the start of the season.
This could be a solution to a problem, or it could cause one. Playing both on the outside and inside is no easy task. There are very different techniques and concepts when playing from the slot as opposed to the outside, especially when flipping sides of the field.
Some people may remember, but Haden was asked to do both during his tenure with the Cleveland Browns early in his career, and he has stated in the past it wasn't an easy task for him. However, both Haden and Sutton himself have spoke with high confidence over Sutton's ability to be able to fill both the outside and slot role if needed.
Regardless of how it pans out, there is no secret that Sutton is currently heavily involved in their plans. Whoever else steps up around him may ultimately determine his role, more so than his performance alone.
Let us know below what you think the Steelers should do in their secondary to get the best out of the group!
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