While Patrick Peterson has been widely regarded as the leader in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ cornerback room, CB Levi Wallace is entering his sixth year in the league and can also take on a leadership role. Wallace talked to reporters before Pittsburgh’s fourth training camp practice about the role he’s taken mentoring the team’s young corners.
“I’m starting to just give them goals each and every day. I’m like alright, let’s work on one thing today, like what kind of goals do you have for yourself? And if they don’t have any, I’ll give them one,” Wallace said via Steelers.com. “Kind of just put their leadership with them knowing I want the best for them.”
Wallace also talked about the league evolving with both Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. being bigger corners, and he gives them advice relative to what he would do if he that length.
Wallace has been a little bit of a forgotten man in Pittsburgh’s cornerback hierarchy, with the new guys in Porter, Trice and Peterson getting a lot of buzz. But Wallace quietly put together a very strong season in 2022, picking off four passes, and it seems like he’s embraced a leadership role as well. He talked a lot about building chemistry and relationships in a cornerback room that has just one other holdover in James Pierre.
He enjoys answering questions from the younger corners, because if he “wasn’t that good, maybe they wouldn’t be asking me as many questions.” He’s proven himself in this league, earning a valuable role in Buffalo with the Bills before joining the Steelers in free agency last offseason.
Even just as a locker room presence, Wallace is showing his value. But I’d be a little bit surprised if he didn’t get significant playing time this season, given he had a strong 2022 season and has continually proven that he can be a good NFL cornerback. Even if he gets passed on the depth chart by Porter, Wallace deserves credit for the leadership role he’s taken on to get the younger guys ready for life in the NFL.
While losing Sutton was a blow, Pittsburgh’s cornerback room could be stronger in 2023 than it was in 2022. Wallace and Peterson, if Wallace starts on the outside, are a good duo who both have the necessary ball skills to help the Steelers again push for the league lead in interceptions. Adding Porter and Trice alongside Pierre as depth will help Pittsburgh match up with some of the best passing offenses in the league, especially when you consider the team’s potent pass rush.
It’s going to be a fun group to watch this year, and I don’t think Wallace is going to get lost in the shuffle. While he might be a little bit under the radar now, I don’t think he’s a name people will forget about when the season kicks off.
