Outside of Donte Jackson and recently signed Cameron Sutton, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a bit of a youth movement at the cornerback position.
Though they are young, that doesn’t mean that the likes of Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, and other young pieces aren’t ready to make a big impact for the Steelers.
For second-year pro Joey Porter Jr., who remains young in his own right but is quite experienced after starting as a rookie, the young cornerbacks could really take over for the Steelers’ defense if they keep improving.
“Man, they’ve been doing great so far. Darius has been stepping up a lot; Cory is just getting his feet in the water, but he’s been making plays. I’m really just happy for both of them,” Porter told reporters Thursday following the final day of Organized Team Activities, according to video via Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker. “I keep telling those guys every day, ‘We can really take this over if we just keep stacking days and doing what we’re supposed to do.'”
#Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. on fellow CBs Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush.
“Man, they’ve been doing great so far. … I keep telling those guys every day, ‘We can really take this over if we just keep stacking days and doing what we’re supposed to do.” pic.twitter.com/NAVilRbO1i
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) June 6, 2024
Porter is coming off a strong rookie season that saw him develop into a legitimate No. 1 cornerback capable of shutting down the opponent’s top receiver weekly. While Jackson and Sutton are expected to hold down key roles opposite Porter and in the slot, depth remains a concern for the Steelers, shifting plenty of attention to Trice and Rush.
Rush showed some flashes in sparse action last season with the Steelers. But he was limited as far as the playbook during his initial jump into his time with the Steelers and was largely relegated to being a healthy scratch for the Steelers. Trice showed some promise in the offseason and then excitement was high entering training camp, but the former Purdue star tore his ACL on the first day of padded practices, missing his entire rookie season.
Now, entering Year 2 for both, expectations remain high and there is some excitement and anticipation for both. They bring great size and athleticism to the position and fit the profile of what the Steelers are looking for.
They’ll have to keep stacking days though, as Porter said, to get to that point where they are forcing their way onto the field. If that happens, that’s a huge development for the Steelers, which should mean that Pittsburgh’s cornerbacks room is strengthened in the process, making the Steelers all that much better in the end.
