The Pittsburgh Steelers are most of the way through the first part of the offseason leading to the draft. Before we get there, we’re going to take stock of how the roster has evolved over the past several weeks. Position by position, we’ll break down who’s coming and going and what’s next, for those rookies and those already here.
Position: Cornerback
Total Positional Figure: 8
Offseason Additions: 1
Offseason Deletions: 4
Players Retained:
Joey Porter Jr.: Last year’s 32nd-overall draft pick, Porter established his bona fides during his rookie season. He has already developed into their CB1 and drew shadow assignments in 2023. His next steps are cleaning up penalties, showing more tackle consistency, and making more impact plays.
Darius Rush: A fifth-round pick in 2023, Rush is already on his third team—typically not a good sign. He spent most of last season on the Steelers’ inactive list, or at least not playing, but he has the offseason to develop in their system.
Cory Trice Jr.: The Steelers’ seventh-round pick a year ago, Trice is recovering from a training camp injury. He tore his ACL before getting into a preseason game but appears to be back on the field already. We’ll have to see what he can do during OTAs. He first must prove himself healthy because he can vie for a defensive role.
Luq Barcoo: Barcoo has height and showed some flashes last year, but thus far he’s a practice squad player. That’s where he spent last season, after playing in the XFL, anyway. He last played in a regular-season game in 2020.
Kalon Barnes: Barnes has a couple years in the league as a converted wide receiver, already on his sixth team. He spent all of a couple weeks on the practice squad, but the Steelers re-signed him to a futures deal.
Thomas Graham Jr.: Graham has some playing experience back in 2022, spending much of last season on the Browns’ injured reserve. The Steelers signed him at the end of the year to a futures deal.
Josiah Scott: Scott is one of the few slot-capable corners currently on the roster, which is saying little. He does have 575 NFL defensive snaps to his credit since 2020. After two weeks last season on the Steelers’ practice squad, they waived him with an injury designation, but brought him back on a futures deal.
Players Added:
Donte Jackson: The Steelers traded veteran starting WR Diontae Johnson for Donte Jackson this offseason. A veteran starter himself, he is not as good a cornerback as Johnson is a wide receiver. But they marginally improved their draft picks and saved some cap space, while adding a starter at a need position. Jackson has great speed and good ball skills but is underwhelming in key areas—such as tackling and coverage.
Players Deleted:
Patrick Peterson: Signed last year to a two-year, $14 million contract, the Steelers cut Peterson to save about $7 million. They are reportedly leaving the door open to re-signing him after the draft, however, depending on how it shakes out. He could return to play in the slot or in a diverse role, or simply as depth. His alternative options are dwindling.
James Pierre: A former fan favorite, Pierre carved out a special teams niche for himself. He signed to the NFC East in free agency—it’s unclear if the Steelers offered him a contract at all. He may have wanted a fresh start anyway whether they did or not.
Levi Wallace: A former starter for the Steelers, Wallace lost his job to Porter last season. He hit free agency this offseason and remained unsigned until only recently, joining the Denver Broncos. Fans soured on him rather quickly and never forgave him for some early blunders last season.
Chandon Sullivan: The Steelers’ principal slot defender in 2023, Sullivan remains unsigned. He is a candidate to rejoin the team after the draft if they still need depth here—which is likely. None of these players currently on the roster are viable slot options. Jackson could possibly do it, but he hasn’t in the past.
Notes And Draft Outlook:
Cornerback is arguably the Steelers’ biggest need on the defensive side of the ball, depending on who you ask. It’s certainly the defensive position they’re likely to use the highest draft pick on. There’s an outside chance they even target a cornerback in the first round. I don’t know that they trade up for Quinyon Mitchell, but if they’re even considering it, that’s notable.
Really, any point in this draft is a plausible spot for the Steelers to add a cornerback. I could even see them drafting two cornerbacks just as they did a year ago if the value is there late. They’re not counting on Rush or Trice, even if they’re intrigued by their potential. They need depth, and starters. Jackson is potentially a stopgap starter, and they desperately need a slot defender.
