Coming out of free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have a couple of holes on the roster.
It’s well known that the Steelers, with the start of Organized Team Activities just a few away, could still use another receiver and another outside cornerback, not to mention maybe a fourth outside linebacker and some added depth along the defensive line.
Quietly though, the slot cornerback position is the biggest need for GM Omar Khan and the Steelers.
After seeing veteran cornerback Chandon Sullivan play 348 snaps in the slot last season, and veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson play another 208 in the slot, neither are on the Steelers’ roster currently, so Pittsburgh has to replace 556 snaps in the slot.
Rookie undrafted free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. out of West Virginia seems to be the popular name many are plugging into the spot due to his size, production and play style. But the answer at slot cornerback for the Steelers might have been on the roster all along.
That would be veteran Josiah Scott, whom the Steelers had on the practice squad early last season, and then re-signed as a Reserve/Futures player on Jan. 23.
Scott, who is entering his fifth NFL season after spending one season in Jacksonville and three with the Philadelphia Eagles, has 577 NFL snaps under his belt, including 453 in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.
Through his first four NFL seasons, Scott has a 55.9 overall grade from PFF, including a 56.9 in coverage and a 55.2 as a run defender. He’s missed just six tackles in his career and has allowed 49 receptions on 61 targets for 589 yards and five touchdowns, adding two interceptions and five pass breakups.
Those aren’t eye-opening numbers, but his experience from a snap count and experience standpoint should put him at the front of the line when it comes to the slot cornerback battle entering training camp.
Scott was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Jacksonville traded the Michigan State product to the Eagles ahead of the 2021 season in a deal that included cornerback Jameson Houston and a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Scott spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Eagles before being cut at the end of training camp in 2023. He spent a couple of months on the Steelers’ practice squad until Oct. 17 when the Eagles signed him off the practice squad, putting him into the lineup in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins.
Scott spent a month with the Eagles before being released on Nov. 28 and was re-signed to the practice squad two days later. At the end of the season, the Eagles didn’t extend him a contract, leading to the Steelers pouncing and landing him as a Reserve/Futures player.
Scott is a bit undersized at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, but he has stuck around for a reason in the NFL. He’s a smart player and works well in the slot. In his career, he has played in 39 games.
The 2022 season was the best season of his career as he played in 16 games, starting four, and intercepted two passes for the Eagles. He also had eight pass deflections that season, and that success on a good Eagles defense obviously piqued the interest of the Steelers, who made the move to sign him twice.
Not only can he handle a role in the slot defensively, he has special teams abilities, too, playing 370 career snaps on special teams. He’s just 25 years old, too, having turned 25 on April 5. Limited tread on the tires but good enough experience at the NFL level makes Scott an intriguing piece moving forward for the Steelers.
If he can stay healthy and perform well in training camp, the slot cornerback job is there for the taking. He might not be the flashiest name or the one that many want at the position, but he just might be the Steelers’ most logical answer in the slot.
