Steelers are stronger, but what of slot cornerback?
With the NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, the Steelers have done the bulk of the work to improve the roster for the 2025 season and beyond.
Last time, we did a deep dive into the offensive side of the ball to see if the Steelers had improved. Now, especially since it was an emphasis in the draft, we're going to see if the team is better positioned to not only avoid horrific performances such as 299 rushing yards in a playoff loss, but to actually have one of the better, more dangerous defenses in the NFL.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
• Starters: Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon • Backups: Daniel Ekuale, Dean Lowry, Yahya Black, Logan Lee
Compared to 2024? Better and deeper.
Prior to the draft, the Steelers were weaker on the defensive line. They cut ties with Larry Ogunjobi, taking away one starter from the past three seasons. They brought in a few bodies throughout free agency, including Ekuale. He may be a good role player and can start games, if needed. But, the overall quality of the group was lacking.
After selecting Harmon in the first round and Black in the fifth round, the position is better set up for 2025 and beyond. Harmon is obviously the main reason why. He's a legitimate first-round talent that's built a whole lot like Heyward and can learn from him while playing meaningful snaps. Maybe Harmon could even be Heyward's replacement when he decides to stop having All-Pro seasons in his mid-to-late 30s.
Black is a stout run-stuffing nose tackle that the Steelers also envision playing the four-technique in their base 3-4, as well. With Benton and Black now in the mix, that was enough for the team to even move on from Montravius Adams, who went from being a practice squad guy to a legitimate option in a rotation.
But, the Steelers were aiming bigger than just having good rotational guys up front. The starting three now include an All-Pro and potential Hall of Famer, a second-round pick and a first-round pick. This team needed more legitimate talent up front and they got it, all while not sacrificing the position's depth.
EDGE RUSHER
• Starters: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith • Backups:Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
Compared to 2024? Better, specifically because of depth.
We already know about Watt, Highsmith and Herbig. That much is clear. Herbig is the first option on the field for passing situations when Watt or Highsmith need a breather. But, what about the position's depth for stopping the run?
Herbig is a great find for a fourth-round pick. His speed off the edge is a handful for offensive tackles. But, Herbig isn't nearly as stout of a run defender. That became clear last season when Highsmith missed six games and the team gave up more rushing yards per attempt during that time and teams such as the Colts and Cowboys ran for more than 100 yards in games that should not have been lost.
Enter Sawyer. While his ceiling will be completely defined by how he can develop as a pass rusher with short arms, Sawyer's floor is relatively high because of good size at 6-4 and 260 pounds and ability to set the edge in run defense.
This position needed that entering into training camp, not something that needs to be addressed later on. That's why the Steelers gave up a seventh-round pick last season to acquire Preston Smith. They knew they needed another edge rusher that could stop the run. With Sawyer in the mix, they now have that, freeing up Watt and Highsmith to potentially play less snaps to help stay fresh and have a better chance of staying healthy.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
• Starters: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson • Backups: Cole Holcomb, Malik Harrison, Carson Bruener, Mark Robinson
Compared to 2024? Worse.
This is the one position the Steelers might be weaker than it was a season ago. Adding Queen and Wilson to the mix last offseason helped solidify the position with both veteran experience and youth potential.
However, the Steelers moved on from Elandon Roberts in March. They opted to sign Harrison, a former Raven, to a two-year, $10 million contract while Roberts signed with the Raiders for a very affordable one-year, $3.01 million deal. Roberts was a phenomenal run stuffer for the Steelers and was much better in coverage than anticipated.
The purpose of the Harrison signing is to have a depth linebacker that can both stop the run and play special teams. The Steelers had that with Roberts as the former and Tyler Matakevich as the latter last season, but now Harrison can do both for the price of just one roster spot. The issue is Harrison has yet to prove he can be as effective, especially in run defense. He didn't really get his first crack at extended time playing linebacker until 2024 when Trenton Simpson was benched midseason.
In addition, Holcomb is a bit of a wildcard. We saw what he could do prior to his gruesome knee injury in 2023. If that Holcomb returns, this position is stronger. Having that caliber of a player in a rotation with Queen and Wilson could be very effective. However, there's no guarantee Holcomb can return to that form. The uncertainty just comes with the territory when suffering that type of injury. If he pulls it off, it'll be a remarkable story.
There won't be room for six linebackers, so Robinson and Bruener will have some sort of competition in training camp. The better special teams player will likely have the upper hand.
This is by no means a weak position. However, with the subtraction of Roberts and uncertainty surrounding Holcomb, it's hard to say this position is stronger in 2025.
CORNERBACK
• Starters: Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay • Backups: Beanie Bishop, Cory Trice Jr., Brandin Echols, James Pierre, Donte Kent
Compared to 2024? Better on the outside. But, who the heck's playing slot corner?
Swapping Donte Jackson for Slay is a major upgrade. According to both Pro Football Focus, Slay ranked third-best in reception percentage when targeted (51.7%) and fourth-best in forced incompletion percentage (20%) among cornerbacks who played at least 350 snaps in 2024. And, Slay's comfort with lining up and making plays off the ball will translate well to the Steelers' Cover 3-heavy scheme.
Outside cornerback is taken care of. Behind Slay are Trice and Echols. The Steelers still have high hopes for Trice. He just needs to stay on the field. Echols is a cheap free-agent signing that can play both outside and in the slot.
But, that's the question here. Slot corner is completely up for grabs, and there are concerns for everyone in the running. Bishop would likely get first crack at it since he played it last season, but Cam Sutton was chosen over him time and time again despite terrible performances. Is that due to a lack of faith in Bishop? Echols can play in the slot, but admittedly is more comfortable playing outside. Kent, the team's second of two seventh-round picks in this year's draft, can compete for the spot, as well. But, nobody should rely on a seventh-rounder to come in and win a job outright.
The Steelers can always use a three-safety package to circumvent the issue, but not all the time. Rolling out three safeties and two cornerbacks in nickel won't always work. The Steelers need a cornerback to step up and win the slot corner job with authority.
If not, anyone up for a reunion with Mike Hilton?
SAFETY
• Starters: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott • Backups: Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew, Sebastian Castro
Compared to 2024? Better.
The Steelers swapped out Damontae Kazee for Thornhill, which is an uprgade. Thornhill had his struggles in Cleveland, but he's the centerfielder the Steelers need to let Fitzpatrick get back to being the ball-hawking safety he was prior to 2023. No more of him lining up 25 yards off the line of scrimmage to be a firefighter. Upgrading outside cornerback and adding Thornhill, in theory, should do that.
I also think Castro has an outside chance of making the roster. He's perhaps the most interesting undrafted free agent signing the Steelers made. He can play either safety or in the slot, making him a candidate for the biggest question mark on the roster.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There's reason to be skeptical over the depth of the inside linebacker position. Roberts was a quality player that could stop the run. And, the whole goal of the offseason so far has been trying to get better at stopping the run. Seems counterproductive.
However, the upgrades at defensive tackle and edge rusher make the front much better equipped, which should make the linebackers' job easier. I also don't want to rule out Holcomb coming back and being a contributor. He worked his tail off to come back.
The secondary is in a better position to play more man coverage and free up Fitzpatrick, but the hole at slot corner will be the biggest concern heading into training camp. Somebody will win the job, but that doesn't necessarily mean that player deserves it, either. He might just end up being the best of an underwhelming bunch. Until somebody takes that job and really shows something, it'll remain a concern.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
4:53 pm - 05.05.2025South SideSteelers are stronger, but what of slot cornerback?
With the NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, the Steelers have done the bulk of the work to improve the roster for the 2025 season and beyond.
Last time, we did a deep dive into the offensive side of the ball to see if the Steelers had improved. Now, especially since it was an emphasis in the draft, we're going to see if the team is better positioned to not only avoid horrific performances such as 299 rushing yards in a playoff loss, but to actually have one of the better, more dangerous defenses in the NFL.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
• Starters: Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon
• Backups: Daniel Ekuale, Dean Lowry, Yahya Black, Logan Lee
Compared to 2024? Better and deeper.
Prior to the draft, the Steelers were weaker on the defensive line. They cut ties with Larry Ogunjobi, taking away one starter from the past three seasons. They brought in a few bodies throughout free agency, including Ekuale. He may be a good role player and can start games, if needed. But, the overall quality of the group was lacking.
After selecting Harmon in the first round and Black in the fifth round, the position is better set up for 2025 and beyond. Harmon is obviously the main reason why. He's a legitimate first-round talent that's built a whole lot like Heyward and can learn from him while playing meaningful snaps. Maybe Harmon could even be Heyward's replacement when he decides to stop having All-Pro seasons in his mid-to-late 30s.
Black is a stout run-stuffing nose tackle that the Steelers also envision playing the four-technique in their base 3-4, as well. With Benton and Black now in the mix, that was enough for the team to even move on from Montravius Adams, who went from being a practice squad guy to a legitimate option in a rotation.
But, the Steelers were aiming bigger than just having good rotational guys up front. The starting three now include an All-Pro and potential Hall of Famer, a second-round pick and a first-round pick. This team needed more legitimate talent up front and they got it, all while not sacrificing the position's depth.
EDGE RUSHER
• Starters: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith
• Backups: Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
Compared to 2024? Better, specifically because of depth.
We already know about Watt, Highsmith and Herbig. That much is clear. Herbig is the first option on the field for passing situations when Watt or Highsmith need a breather. But, what about the position's depth for stopping the run?
Herbig is a great find for a fourth-round pick. His speed off the edge is a handful for offensive tackles. But, Herbig isn't nearly as stout of a run defender. That became clear last season when Highsmith missed six games and the team gave up more rushing yards per attempt during that time and teams such as the Colts and Cowboys ran for more than 100 yards in games that should not have been lost.
Enter Sawyer. While his ceiling will be completely defined by how he can develop as a pass rusher with short arms, Sawyer's floor is relatively high because of good size at 6-4 and 260 pounds and ability to set the edge in run defense.
This position needed that entering into training camp, not something that needs to be addressed later on. That's why the Steelers gave up a seventh-round pick last season to acquire Preston Smith. They knew they needed another edge rusher that could stop the run. With Sawyer in the mix, they now have that, freeing up Watt and Highsmith to potentially play less snaps to help stay fresh and have a better chance of staying healthy.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
• Starters: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson
• Backups: Cole Holcomb, Malik Harrison, Carson Bruener, Mark Robinson
Compared to 2024? Worse.
This is the one position the Steelers might be weaker than it was a season ago. Adding Queen and Wilson to the mix last offseason helped solidify the position with both veteran experience and youth potential.
However, the Steelers moved on from Elandon Roberts in March. They opted to sign Harrison, a former Raven, to a two-year, $10 million contract while Roberts signed with the Raiders for a very affordable one-year, $3.01 million deal. Roberts was a phenomenal run stuffer for the Steelers and was much better in coverage than anticipated.
The purpose of the Harrison signing is to have a depth linebacker that can both stop the run and play special teams. The Steelers had that with Roberts as the former and Tyler Matakevich as the latter last season, but now Harrison can do both for the price of just one roster spot. The issue is Harrison has yet to prove he can be as effective, especially in run defense. He didn't really get his first crack at extended time playing linebacker until 2024 when Trenton Simpson was benched midseason.
In addition, Holcomb is a bit of a wildcard. We saw what he could do prior to his gruesome knee injury in 2023. If that Holcomb returns, this position is stronger. Having that caliber of a player in a rotation with Queen and Wilson could be very effective. However, there's no guarantee Holcomb can return to that form. The uncertainty just comes with the territory when suffering that type of injury. If he pulls it off, it'll be a remarkable story.
There won't be room for six linebackers, so Robinson and Bruener will have some sort of competition in training camp. The better special teams player will likely have the upper hand.
This is by no means a weak position. However, with the subtraction of Roberts and uncertainty surrounding Holcomb, it's hard to say this position is stronger in 2025.
CORNERBACK
• Starters: Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay
• Backups: Beanie Bishop, Cory Trice Jr., Brandin Echols, James Pierre, Donte Kent
Compared to 2024? Better on the outside. But, who the heck's playing slot corner?
Swapping Donte Jackson for Slay is a major upgrade. According to both Pro Football Focus, Slay ranked third-best in reception percentage when targeted (51.7%) and fourth-best in forced incompletion percentage (20%) among cornerbacks who played at least 350 snaps in 2024. And, Slay's comfort with lining up and making plays off the ball will translate well to the Steelers' Cover 3-heavy scheme.
Outside cornerback is taken care of. Behind Slay are Trice and Echols. The Steelers still have high hopes for Trice. He just needs to stay on the field. Echols is a cheap free-agent signing that can play both outside and in the slot.
But, that's the question here. Slot corner is completely up for grabs, and there are concerns for everyone in the running. Bishop would likely get first crack at it since he played it last season, but Cam Sutton was chosen over him time and time again despite terrible performances. Is that due to a lack of faith in Bishop? Echols can play in the slot, but admittedly is more comfortable playing outside. Kent, the team's second of two seventh-round picks in this year's draft, can compete for the spot, as well. But, nobody should rely on a seventh-rounder to come in and win a job outright.
The Steelers can always use a three-safety package to circumvent the issue, but not all the time. Rolling out three safeties and two cornerbacks in nickel won't always work. The Steelers need a cornerback to step up and win the slot corner job with authority.
If not, anyone up for a reunion with Mike Hilton?
SAFETY
• Starters: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott
• Backups: Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew, Sebastian Castro
Compared to 2024? Better.
The Steelers swapped out Damontae Kazee for Thornhill, which is an uprgade. Thornhill had his struggles in Cleveland, but he's the centerfielder the Steelers need to let Fitzpatrick get back to being the ball-hawking safety he was prior to 2023. No more of him lining up 25 yards off the line of scrimmage to be a firefighter. Upgrading outside cornerback and adding Thornhill, in theory, should do that.
I also think Castro has an outside chance of making the roster. He's perhaps the most interesting undrafted free agent signing the Steelers made. He can play either safety or in the slot, making him a candidate for the biggest question mark on the roster.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There's reason to be skeptical over the depth of the inside linebacker position. Roberts was a quality player that could stop the run. And, the whole goal of the offseason so far has been trying to get better at stopping the run. Seems counterproductive.
However, the upgrades at defensive tackle and edge rusher make the front much better equipped, which should make the linebackers' job easier. I also don't want to rule out Holcomb coming back and being a contributor. He worked his tail off to come back.
The secondary is in a better position to play more man coverage and free up Fitzpatrick, but the hole at slot corner will be the biggest concern heading into training camp. Somebody will win the job, but that doesn't necessarily mean that player deserves it, either. He might just end up being the best of an underwhelming bunch. Until somebody takes that job and really shows something, it'll remain a concern.
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