The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the offseason with holes and questions. Some, they’ve solved. The quarterback position got turned on its head and for the better. Inside linebacker looks stronger with Patrick Queen’s splash signing while SS DeShon Elliott and P Cameron Johnston are more subdued but key additions.
There’s still work to do. Most of the conversation has centered around center and wide receiver. Little at each position after releasing Mason Cole and dealing Diontae Johnson. And it stands to reason the team will draft those spots early, one of the two in the first round and the other sometime on Day Two.
Less talked about? Slot corner. Even outside corner, despite adding Donte Jackson, is recognized as a need. Depth for 2024, a starter in 2025. But despite a hole of nothingness occupying the current slot spot, there hasn’t been much of a Steelers’ push to fill it.
Releasing Patrick Peterson created that void. Even Chandon Sullivan remains a free agent. According to my charting, here’s the Steelers 2023 slot snaps from their cornerbacks.
Steelers 2023 Slot Snaps
Chandon Sullivan: 418
Patrick Peterson: 210
Joey Porter Jr.: 40
Levi Wallace: 25
Darius Rush: 13
James Pierre: 4
Of those 710 snaps, 92.5 percent of them are currently off the roster. Porter isn’t a true slot corner who kicked inside against twin sets and pass situations where he matched up on the opposing No. 1 receiver who aligned in the slot. Rush returns and could be an option though he’s been an outside corner throughout his college career. Over his last two years at South Carolina, he logged just 17 slot snaps.
It’s possible one of those outgoing players return. Sullivan and Peterson are the most likely. Sullivan played well down the stretch, even if he’s a zone corner with limited range suited for first and second down, and bringing him back on a cheap one-year deal is fine. Peterson noted the “door wasn’t closed” on a Steelers’ return after being released ahead of free agency. The Steelers have had a habit of signing defensive backs after the draft. Damontae Kazee in 2022, Keanu Neal in 2023. Perhaps their strategy is to re-sign Sullivan before the draft, attempt to select on in the draft, and failing that, re-sign Peterson on a one-year pact.
Still, the draft is their best solution. Michigan’s Mike Sainristil is the leader in that clubhouse though the same can probably be said for plenty of other teams. If not him, it’s hard to find another definitive name. And Pittsburgh hasn’t exactly been showing Pro Day interest in some of the top names with DBs Coach Grady Brown invisible to our eyes so far this month. Not at Penn State for Daequan Hardy, not at Auburn for DJ James, not at Kentucky for Andru Phillips (to our knowledge, at least). Heck, according to Jim Nagy, Brown wasn’t even at Michigan for Sainristil.
What’s the plan? Pittsburgh has lacked a solid one since Mike Hilton left for Cincinnati following the 2020 season. In 2021, they didn’t have a clear plan out of camp, shoehorning Minkah Fitzpatrick into the role until realized it wasn’t good for him or the defense. In 2022, it took them too long to shift Cam Sutton there on passing downs, though Arthur Maulet did well on early downs. And in 2023, Sullivan and Peterson split, though that became Sullivan’s full-time role when Peterson made the emergency move to safety.
While base defense usage has increased in recent years, sub-package is still the majority grouping. Slot corners are on the field more than they’re off it. And it’s a position you don’t want to be weak at.
The offseason is a process and two weeks of free agency isn’t going to fix all the team’s problems. I get that. But it’s worth wondering about what the team’s plan is just as it’s rightfully been discussed at receiver, center, and elsewhere. At the moment, given their other needs, it’s not clear what direction the team is headed.
