With training camp just around the corner, it’s time to turn our focus on what is going on within each position, and on the roster as a whole. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be taking a closer look at some of the roster battles that we expect to see unfold over the course of training camp as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the start of the 2023 season.
This year, there will be no quarterback competition overshadowing everything that goes on at Latrobe, but there will still be plenty of battles to sift through, both in the starting lineup and in depth. The Steelers added many new faces this offseason, rookie and veteran alike, and it’s in training camp that we begin to see where all the pieces fit.
Position: Slot Cornerback
Up for Grabs: Starting Job
In the Mix: Chandon Sullivan, Patrick Peterson, Duke Dawson, Tre Norwood, Elijah Riley
While the Steelers might frame this as something of a wide open field, there very much seems to be two primary candidates for this role, with very different implications. Having signed both this offseason after playing for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, either Chandon Sullivan or Patrick Peterson figure to be the team’s starting slot cornerback.
But Peterson is one of the starting outside cornerbacks, already, so he would be shifting into the slot for sub-packages. On the other hand, Sullivan would simply come on as the fifth defensive back and line up inside, leaving Peterson outside.
Having Peterson play in the slot, however, seems to be the easiest way to get rookie Joey Porter Jr. on the field. The 32nd-overall pick, he is a player the Steelers view as a potential long-term starter, but the team already has the aforementioned Peterson as well as Levi Wallace.
The problem with this equation is the fact that Peterson has never played in the slot on a full-time basis, really only seeing occasional work there within the normal confines of the job of the average starter on the outside. He would have to show that he can handle it in extended action.
If not, then Sullivan is by far the most experienced candidate, but Tre Norwood has played in the slot here in the past. The team has also mentioned Duke Dawson and Elijah Riley by name when discussing its options with this role.
A former second-round pick, Dawson’s career has been limited due to injury, spending three separate stints on Reserve/Injured Lists with three different organizations. His only playing time came with the Denver Broncos in 2019 and 2020, totaling 414 defensive snaps.
Both he and Riley were with the Steelers for at least large portions of the 2022 season, mostly on the practice squad. Norwood, of course, has been here for a couple years already. That at least gives them the advantage of not starting from scratch.
