Buy Or Sell: The Steelers’ answer at slot cornerback is already on the roster.
Explanation: If you looked at the Steelers’ roster right now, you won’t see a name that screams out to you and says, ‘That’s the third cornerback right there.’ For one thing, most of their cornerbacks are outside guys, and they need somebody in the slot. But they do have a number of options they can explore, some with experience, some without.
Buy:
The Steelers are not afraid to go into a season without a hardcore plan in the slot. They’ve done it before, such as in 2016 when they let Sean Davis play there. After losing Mike Hilton in free agency, they used a rotational approach, and that is one option.
But they have a guy in Josiah Scott who has legitimate NFL experience as a slot cornerback. And they already know him because he spent time on the practice squad last year. Let’s not forget Beanie Bishop Jr., either, a college free agent rookie they seem to really like. If they actually had a seventh-round pick, they likely would have used it on him. He’s an all-around ball player with coverage skills and run support.
Then you have other names like Thomas Graham Jr., who could potentially work inside. They could even kick Donte Jackson inside, considering they have more outside cornerbacks. On top of that, you have slot-capable safeties in Damontae Kazee and Trenton Thompson. Throw them all in a blender, and they’ll find a combination they’re content with by the start of the season.
Sell:
The Steelers love to say that they are “comfortable” with things when they’re not. Does anybody believe the Steelers were comfortable with Nate Herbig at center before the draft? Well, no, they’re not comfortable with their slot cornerbacks, either, and they have no right to be.
Graham didn’t even play last season and doesn’t have that much experience. Scott spent most of last season on practice squads, so what makes him the answer? Two teams explored him as an option and let him go.
Averett? Sure, he has experience, but not on the outside, and neither does Jackson. The Steelers have a bunch of outside cornerbacks, and that’s the problem. Bishop is a nice thought, but let’s be honest, most of these players don’t work out. Not right away, anyway. Even Mike Hilton spent his rookie year kicking around practice squads.
They need help on the inside for 2024, and there’s simply no way around that, looking at this roster. That’s why you can expect them to bring back Patrick Peterson, Chandon Sullivan, or maybe even Cameron Sutton.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they likely need a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
