The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired CB Donte Jackson from the Carolina Panthers in a trade earlier this offseason, pairing him with Joey Porter Jr. as their top two cornerback options. But the Steelers don’t currently have a reliable slot cornerback on their roster, and former Steelers safety and current analyst Ryan Clark thinks that Jackson could be an option in the slot. During an appearance on All Things Covered with Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson, Clark talked about the possibility of Jackson moving inside.
“Joey Porter Jr., Young Peezy, could be a star at corner. He’s gonna travel with No. 1, you add Donte Jackson to that. I want to see if defensively, they say ‘Donte, we’re gonna move you inside as well. Let you play inside.’ Because they were searching for that person to be there.”
Moving Jackson inside likely isn’t Pittsburgh’s first choice. He has limited experience there, with just 175 career snaps in the slot and only five of those coming in 2023. He played 59 snaps in the slot his rookie season, which is the most he’s ever played in one season. It would be a tough ask to have a guy who’s primarily worked on the outside all of a sudden transition and become a primary slot corner. But if the Steelers aren’t able to find an option in the draft or with what’s left in free agency, they may be tempted to at least try Jackson in the slot during OTAs and see how he looks.
There are options in the draft, and the Steelers have met with Mike Sainristil before his Pro Day at Michigan and also hosted Penn State CB Daequan Hardy for a visit. Both of those players are options to come in and play in the slot, and Chandon Sullivan, who played in the slot for Pittsburgh last season, remains a free agent. Signing or drafting a slot corner feels a lot more likely than moving Jackson inside, and the Steelers could also double-up at cornerback, taking a slot corner and adding depth on the outside.
While at 5-10 and 180 pounds, Jackson’s size could work well inside, his lack of experience makes it a tough fit and not something that the Steelers should be banking on. There’s still plenty of time for the team to build out its roster, and finding a slot corner should be a top priority. Relying on Jackson to be able to fill that role outside of an emergency/short-term basis seems like it could be a mistake.
