With a wide-open slot battle, the Pittsburgh Steelers are turning over every stone to find their replacements for the departed Chandon Sullivan and Patrick Peterson. Cam Sutton seems to lead that battle but facing possible suspension, the team may have to search for at least short-term alternatives too. Rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. and Josiah Scott have been other names mentioned in the mix and DBs Coach Grady Brown offered a new player into the fold – Thomas Graham Jr.
“Beanie got a lot of reps,” Brown told the media via the team’s YouTube channel Wednesday. “Joe Scott got a lot of reps. TG, Thomas Graham got a lot of reps. So I think it’s a good group of guys for the slot position.”
Graham signed a Reserve/Future contract with the Steelers after the season. A player not often discussed, we outlined his backstory in a February article. Coming out of Oregon, Pittsburgh met with Graham at the Senior Bowl and our scouting report touted him as a solid man corner.
A sixth-round pick of the Chicago Bears in 2021, he appeared in four games as a rookie and logged over 100 snaps on defense. He ended up with the Cleveland Browns the following year, splitting time between defense and special teams.
Over those two seasons, Graham spent more time on the outside but logged 47 snaps in the slot. And it seems Pittsburgh is giving him the chance to play inside as a physical corner. Perhaps that would lend itself to a run-down role should the Steelers continue to split reps as they have post-Mike Hilton (Cam Sutton/Arthur Maulet, Sullivan/Peterson over the past two years).
Thomas Graham won’t be considered the favorite for the job. Nor should he be. Pittsburgh brought back Sutton – despite his baggage – for a reason. Bishop is a promising rookie and Scott brings plenty of NFL experience. Even finding reps this summer could be tough to come by with Sutton in the fold and Graham presumably the fourth-string slot corner. But it’s at least one other name to toss into the mix and watch how Pittsburgh shakes things out this summer.
