With CB Cameron Sutton suspended the first eight games of the 2024 season for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, the slot cornerback position is once again very much up for grabs. The team had the likes of Josiah Scott, Anthony Averett, Grayland Arnold and UDFA Beanie Bishop competing for the starting job as the team prepares to enter training camp.
While Pittsburgh may choose to look outside the organization for potential options at slot corner to fill in while Sutton is on the shelf, they likely will enter training camp with the guys they have in-house and see how they fare before making a move. Josiah Scott’s name has been one that has generated a fair amount of attention this offseason, having taken first team reps at slot corner prior to the team bringing back Sutton.
Steelers Depot’s very own Josh Carney proposed that Scott was the most logical option at slot corner for Pittsburgh prior to when they signed Sutton, and the same still likely holds true today. Scott has typical size for a slot corner in the league, standing a little undersized at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds after getting picked in the fourth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft. Scott got dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles and has seen action in 39 games with four starts between the two teams, collecting 51 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, a sack, 8 pass deflections and 2 interceptions on 577 snaps.
Scott lacks ideal size at the position, but displays aggressiveness that you desire from a slot cornerback. He is a willing run defender who will stick his face in the fan and make tackles in open space against ball carriers. Pittsburgh has been known for physical slot corners in run support in the past with Mike Hilton and Arthur Maulet, and Scott can bring a similar demeanor and skill set to the equation.
As Carney noted in his piece on Scott, the veteran defensive back has a 55.9 overall grade from PFF, including a 56.9 in coverage and a 55.2 as a run defender, and has allowed 49 receptions on 61 targets for 589 yards and 5 touchdowns. Those numbers don’t necessarily inspire a ton of confidence, but he has the speed to run with receivers down the field as well as across the intermediate zones. He is instinctive and can change directions quickly to redirect with receivers in the routes. He should be seen as a better run defender than pass coverage defender at the position, but he has the snaps and some production to warrant an opportunity.
Scott’s route to making the roster not only falls on his capabilities as a slot coverage defender, but also as a special teams contributor. He’s played 370 career snaps on special teams, including as a gunner on the punt team. With the team not bringing back WR Miles Boykin who filled that role for Pittsburgh the last couple of seasons, Scott could find himself in favor of ST Coordinator Danny Smith as he competes for the starting slot corner job, strengthening his resume to stick on the roster by contributing to multiple phases of the game for Pittsburgh.
Averett is Pittsburgh’s most experienced option at slot corner as it currently stands, but the veteran missed all of last season after dealing with an injury and joined the team on a try out basis, being no lock for the roster either. Scott is also younger, being just 25-years-old with quality experience which should help his case over current UDFA Beanie Bishop. Alex Kozora gave Scott just a 33% chance of making the roster, but that was before the Sutton suspension got handed down by the league.
The competition at slot cornerback should be one to watch for Pittsburgh in training camp, regardless of if the Steelers bring in someone from the outside or not. However, if they choose to stay put with who they have until Sutton returns, Scott’s skill set and previous experience likely put him at the top of the list.
