Carter's Classroom: Sutton's debut shakes up cornerback battle

While most fans apparently were paying attention to T.J. Watt, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner, the Steelers had been missing their third-round pick, cornerback Cameron Sutton.



Sutton's debut, Sunday night in the 19-15 loss to the Colts at Heinz Field, came at a pivotal time for the defense as management sorts through corners for the 2017 season. The only obvious starter is the 2016 first-round pick, Artie Burns, while the rest of the options seem to be playing musical chairs.

Ross Cockrell did get the start for the Colts game, but Coty Sensabaugh saw plenty of time in Cockrell's spot while the first-team defense was still on the field. Meanwhile, undrafted free agent Mike Hilton got plenty of looks as the slot cornerback instead of William Gay, who played more of a safety role in many situations.

Sutton had missed most of camp due to injury, and had yet to see playing time in any of the preseason games. But as soon as he saw the field, he made his presence felt with solid pass defense on a third down, forcing a punt from the Colts:



Notice how Sutton did not once need to grab onto Jojo Natson as he ran his drag across the field, yet was able to keep pace and swat the ball down. Sutton played tight coverage. Even when the receiver crossed his face, he was able to keep up with the play and be right there when the pass came.

Sutton's time at the University of Tennessee showed him playing every cornerback spot in the team's system, whether he was backed off receivers and playing a zone or playing tight man coverage. You can find our college study of his work here, but facing NFL talent is something else altogether.

Here's Sutton getting beat on a third down by that same receiver to the inside:



Sutton was a little slow in getting to his spot and was sold by Natson's initial move, a small mistake that happens to every cornerback at several points in his career as he faces NFL talent.

But what's important to note is how Sutton was still with the play and brought Natson down immediately after the catch. Being able to stick with a play and making a tackle to prevent big gains is something that Keith Butler will appreciate in a defensive back.

The Steelers' defense has sought strong-tackling cornerbacks for years. They prefer players who can keep the play in front of them and prevent first downs with solid tackles in both short passes and run support.

Sutton showed he can contribute to that aspect as well when he was able to engage with his man on a run play, keep his head towards the ball and come up to make a tackle for a loss:



Being able to shut down runs outside the tackles will definitely catch the eye of the Steelers' coaches. While this play won't stand out to those who are looking for interceptions and high-flying cover cornerbacks, it will show that Sutton is willing and able to do the dirty work in the run game.

Now, what the film showed was both Sutton playing in the slot and covering receivers lined up outside the numbers. Asking a rookie to be able to fill multiple roles in the secondary is a big expectation, but Sutton seems up to the task.

But how could a rookie know how to do all these things in an NFL defense when he's missed so much of training camp and is only playing in his first game?

If you're Sutton, you learn from the other players in your system and prepare to be the best.

"From the countless hours of preparation, getting the reps of it at practice and learning from other guys and how they react ... that all ties into each other," Sutton responded when I asked about his progress of learning the Steelers' defense.

"When you're able to feed off another guy and learn about how he's going to play different situations or take different routes ... it makes the game so much easier for you."