Where does Cam Sutton fit best? The answer to that might be…yes.
Because Sutton has racked up plenty of frequent flyer miles out on the field. He can play outside corner, slot corner, dimebacker, and has increasingly logged time at safety. The Steelers aren’t focused on where he plays best. They’re enjoying that he can line up everywhere.
“His best position might just be versatility,” Mike Tomlin told reporters following today’s practice. “I know that from a role standpoint, he has embraced that with us. Cam is a guy that’s outside corner capable, nickel capable, dime capable, safety capable, and really, he displays that just about daily and within the same drills. His versatility has been an asset to us.”
According to our defensive charting, here’s where Sutton lined up in 2019.
Dimebacker: 135 snaps
Nickel corner: 83 snaps
Right corner: 19 snaps
Left corner: 2 snaps
That doesn’t even include the dozen or so times the team rotated him from corner to safety, often spinning down Minkah Fitzpatrick in the process. The team’s talked up Sutton all training camp and with good reason. He took his game to new heights a year ago, becoming a more consistent tackler and run defender while making strides in coverage. The promotion into the Steelers’ defense is well-earned.
“He really has earned his way into the rotation in terms of being a core component of our base defense inside and in the sub packages,” Tomlin went on to say. “But that’s just the means in which he got on the bus. I don’t want to put him in that box. He has a well rounded skill set and continues to prove to us that he’s very versatile.”
Sutton may have a more permanent home this time next year. Mike Hilton is likely to price himself out of Pittsburgh whereas Sutton could come at a cheaper price tag. If the Steelers can re-sign him after the year, he would be the team’s starting slot corner in 2021. Of course, there’s a chance Sutton also signs elsewhere. Should the team lose both men, they’ll likely have to draft their slot corner of the future unless a UDFA like Trajan Bandy turns heads this season. It’s worth noting Steven Nelson played slot snaps during his time in Kansas City, too.
