The signing of veteran cornerback Levi Wallace in free agency last offseason by the Pittsburgh Steelers wasn’t a flashy one, or one that garnered much attention. In the end though, it might go down as one of the savvier moves from that offseason.
Wallace, who spent the previous four seasons in Buffalo after going from an undrafted free agent out of Alabama to a key starter for the Bills, stepped his game up in Pittsburgh after signing a two-year, $8 million deal, quietly becoming a steady presence for the Steelers in the secondary.
During the 2022 season, which was a challenging one for Wallace due to some injuries and being diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, Wallace had a career year recording a career-high four interceptions and 13 passes defensed. When teams targeted Wallace they didn’t have much success.
According to Pro Football Reference, Wallace allowed just 41 receptions on 77 targets — a completion percentage of just 53.2%. Though he allowed a career high in yards per completion (15.9) and yards per target (8.4) and touchdowns (3), he had a quarterback rating of 73.0, which was in line with the 72.6 he allowed in 2021 with the Bills.
That quarterback rating was rather low overall and landed him inside of Pro Football Focus’ top 10 cornerbacks in passer rating allowed ranking Friday morning.
Wallace landed at No. 9 in the rankings, just ahead of Detroit’s Jerry Jacobs at No. 10 and just behind Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey at No. 8. Ironically, former Steelers cornerback and current member of the Detroit Lions Cameron Sutton ranked No. 6 in the rankings with a passer rating allowed of just 69.6. Pittsburgh had quite the strong cornerback tandem last season.
In PFF’s model, Wallace allowed a passer rating of just 74.6. The lowest passer rating allowed on the list was by Philadelphia’s James Bradberry, who recorded a 51.8 passer rating allowed last season.
“Wallace led the entire league in passer rating against when in man coverage (41.8). When in man coverage, Wallace allowed zero touchdowns while forcing four incompletions and snagging three interceptions,” PFF’s Braxton Howard writes regarding Wallace’s ranking at No. 9 overall. “As previously stated, this stat does not paint the entire picture; Wallace earned a 59.3 coverage grade in 2022. The five-year cornerback will likely take a backseat to rookie Joey Porter Jr. in 2023 but will be able to help him along the way and rotate in, as well. Between Wallace and veteran Patrick Peterson, Porter will have some good experience alongside him to help ease his transition into the league.”
When in man coverage last season, Wallace was a force, as PFF points out. That league-best passer rating of just 41.8 in man coverage is rather remarkable, as is the fact he wasn’t beat for a touchdown in man coverage and recorded three of his four interceptions in man-to-man.
That worked well for the Steelers, who played some of the most man-heavy snaps defensively in the NFL last season. It helps having a guy like Wallace, who thrives in man coverage and really put together a strong season in 2022, at least from a counting stats standpoint.
While his lack of top-end athleticism likely prevents him from ever ascending to elite corner status, his route recognition, patience in coverage, and elite ball skills make him an effective corner and a seamless fit in Pittsburgh’s takeaway-oriented defensive identity.
Though the Steelers brought in the likes of rookies Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. this season in the draft, and added veteran Chandon Sullivan in free agency, Wallace is going to have a big role in 2023 once again. We’ll see if he can replicate the strong numbers he put up in 2022.
