The Pittsburgh Steelers have revamped their secondary pretty significantly this offseason to bolster what was one of the weaker position groups on the roster last year. Other than Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damontae Kazee, every player set to start or at least play a major role on the team was added since last offseason with Cam Sutton, Donte Jackson, DeShon Elliott, and Joey Porter Jr. all being recent additions.
With this group, the Steelers now have a bunch of players with good ball skills. The easiest way to track that is via the passes defensed statistic, which combines pass breakups and interceptions into one number. I put together a chart of the Steelers’ top six defensive backs to look at where they rank league-wide at their position since the year they were drafted with data from Pro Football Reference.
| Player | Draft Year | Passes Defensed (since drafted) |
PD position rank (since drafted)
|
| Minkah Fitzpatrick | 2018 | 50 | 3rd (S) |
| Donte Jackson | 2018 | 46 | 18th (CB) |
| Cam Sutton | 2017 | 44 | 23rd (CB) |
| Damontae Kazee | 2017 | 22 | 23rd (S) |
| DeShon Elliott | 2018 | 16 | 36th (S) |
| Joey Porter Jr. | 2023 | 10 | 34th (CB) |
Having a bunch of guys ranked in the 20s and 30s since they started out in the league may not seem that impressive, but you have to consider the number of defensive backs in the NFL. There are 32 teams, and almost every team has at least two to three corners and safeties who play a significant amount.
This group is now rounded out pretty well with three safety options and three corners who all have at least average or slightly above-average ball skills. Minkah Fitzpatrick is in a league of his own near the top of the position with 50 passes defensed since 2018, but Donte Jackson’s 46 is nothing to sneeze at. And Porter’s rookie season would be higher on the list if he had started for the full season, earning his first start in Week 8.
For a full breakdown of Jackson’s 46 career passes defensed, check out the film rooms I put together with all of his interceptions and pass breakups including clips from every play.
The Steelers’ secondary is suddenly in a pretty good place following the addition of Cam Sutton. The slot corner position was one of the biggest question marks that could have held this defense back from its full potential. Now it has a chance to be a real strength. There is no glaring hole on the defensive roster anymore, and that should mean big things for the defense in 2024.
The Steelers led the league in interceptions in 2022 with 20. With the group of players they now have, they will have a chance to challenge that mark this season.
