With all of the attention on the wide receiver room as an area of need for the Pittsburgh Steelers, particularly a WR2 next to George Pickens and just ahead of rookie Roman Wilson, there is one area of need that seemingly flies under the radar a bit.
That would be the cornerback position behind the likes of Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson.
Though the Steelers have a seemingly strong 1-2 combination at cornerback in Porter and Jackson, the Steelers lack depth behind the two, and are currently leaning on the likes of Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, Beanie Bishop Jr., Anthony Averett and more.
For the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, it’s a major position of need, one that the Steelers are likely going to wait to address this offseason. Make no mistake about it though: Fittipaldo believes they’re going to address it.
“So, there’s a lot of talk right now that they could be waiting to find out what happens with Cam Sutton’s legal situation. He was let go by the Lions after he had a domestic dispute. So there’s a history there with the Steelers. They could possibly go back to him,” Fittipaldo said during an appearance on the Rothman & Ice Show, according to audio via Spotify. “Patrick Peterson is still out there, so they’ll have options, but there’s really nobody on the roster right now who’s gonna be a starter come September.
“I think that guy is still a free agent or on another team and they’re gonna wait to make that move.”
Prior to signing Averett following a rookie minicamp tryout, the Steelers had a serious depth issue at cornerback. That depth issue still remains, but the Steelers certainly have a bunch of bodies to throw at the position.
Bishop, an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, is seemingly the front runner for the slot position. He’ll be battling the veteran Josiah Scott, who has plenty of experience in the NFL. Bishop is quite the talent overall, but banking on a UDFA to hold down a starting spot immediately is a risk.
Other names like rookie Ryan Watts, veterans Kalon Barnes, Thomas Graham Jr., and Luq Barcoo are options at cornerback, too.
But that legitimate backup option might come from the outside later this offseason.
After releasing Peterson in March, the Steelers haven’t closed the door on a potential return, and to Peterson’s credit he appears open to a return to Pittsburgh to close his career where he truly wants to be.
Cameron Sutton is the intriguing name though. After being released by the Detroit Lions immediately following his arrest warrant for domestic violence in Florida, Sutton remains on the open market. Originally, Sutton was facing felony charges, but they were reduced to a misdemeanor.
According to a report from the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers met with Sutton in Pittsburgh a week prior to the 2024 NFL Draft. GM Omar Khan downplayed the meeting during an appearance on 102.5 WDVE a few days later, but if Sutton’s legal situation be resolved, it seems like a good possibility that the Steelers reunite with Sutton, addressing the cornerback depth on the outside and in the slot in the process.
