The Pittsburgh Steelers battle for slot corner is ongoing, with the team rolling out a number of different guys throughout the summer to compete. Elijah Riley, Duke Dawson and Chandon Sullivan were named three options by defensive backs coach Grady Brown earlier this summer. While Dawson got first-team reps today, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin poured cold water on the idea that he’s ahead of anyone on the depth chart after practice.
“Don’t look too much into what groups people are running with,” Tomlin said. “We’re just trying to get to know to know people and we’re going to continue to roll. Eli made a play at the nickel position, Duke’s working at the nickel position, Sully’s working at the nickel position. At some point we’re gonna put Pat P at the nickel position. Don’t pay too much attention to the depth at this juncture,” Tomlin said via Steelers Live on Twitter.
Obviously, three of the names Tomlin listed were the same three as Brown earlier this summer, with Dawson, Sullivan (Sully) and Riley (Eli) getting work at slot corner. Patrick Peterson getting work at the position in training camp was expected, and if Peterson shows he can stick in the slot, that might be the Steelers’ best option going forward.
With Joey Porter Jr. pushing for playing time on the outside alongside Peterson and Levi Wallace, Peterson could shift inside allowing Porter and Wallace to be the team’s two outside corners. Given that none of Riley, Sullivan or Dawson so far inspire much confidence at slot corner going into the season, that’s a scenario that, as of now, sounds the best.
But that doesn’t mean one of those guys can’t have a good camp and stake their claim on the spot. Sullivan’s been a slot corner in the NFL before for the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, and Riley is an intriguing option and has safety versatility, as well. Dawson was a high draft pick who’s had his career hampered by injuries, and maybe a shot in Pittsburgh’s system is what he needs to get his career back on track.
Riley had an interception against Mason Rudolph during practice today, so that’s something that could help his cause. That’s a nice start to camp, but there’s a lot of time left for guys to step up. The battle for slot corner is going to be one of the biggest position battles during camp, and it’s going be very interesting to see if someone is able to step up and lay claim to the position.
