It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be in the market for a cornerback this offseason. They have already shown a level of interest in this year’s cornerback class meeting with top names like Cooper DeJean, Terrion Arnold, Kool-Aid McKinstry among others which can be viewed on the our Combine Meeting Tracker. Outside of the 2024 Draft, they could look to improve at the position in other ways. One name who is potentially available is New Orleans Saints star CB Marshon Lattimore.
In a recent ESPN+ article, Jeremy Fowler reports that Lattimore may be available via trade, saying “several” teams believe he could be shopped.
Could the Steelers be one of those teams? Pittsburgh wasn’t shy during the season in trying to upgrade, reportedly in talks up until the trade deadline to acquire Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson last season. Much of that has to do with Patrick Peterson’s up-and-down season, who was much better suited in the “do it all” role he took with the team, rather than as a boundary corner. Acquiring a player like Lattimore would allow the Steelers to keep Peterson in that role, or cut him to save money.
Through his seven year career, Lattimore has firmly cemented himself as one of the top defensive backs in the league, earning four Pro Bowl trips and the 2017 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He has been a staple of the Saints defense, living up to his first-round draft pedigree coming out of Ohio State University.
In my best Mike Tomlin impression, the best ability is availability and Lattimore hasn’t been that recently. In the past two seasons, he has only played in 17 games. In 2022 he missed 10 games with broken ribs and a lacerated kidney and last season he was forced onto the reserve/injured list due to an ankle issue.
Will that be enough to scare away the Steelers? Possibly. Especially when the draft is filled with several plug-and-play cornerback prospects who come in at a much cheaper price tag. Still, based on the noise and recent history of the team attempting to upgrade the position with a veteran, don’t be surprised if the Steelers get floated as a potential landing spot for Lattimore.
