Most of the notable additions the Pittsburgh Steelers made this offseason came on offense, and the biggest signing they made in free agency came on defense with Patrick Queen, but they also made some more underrated moves to shore up their defense. Specifically, they traded for corner Donte Jackson and signed safety DeShon Elliott, two players who aren’t superstars but should improve their defense. Based on some recent comments from Joey Porter Jr., they’ve both provided great value so far in training camp.
In a video from NFL on CBS, Porter was asked what newcomer has shined so far with the Steelers.
“I’ll say the two new secondary guys,” Porter said. “We got Donte Jackson, DeShon Elliott, those two guys came in very vocal. They had a lot of experience from both places they came from. I’ve really just been soaking in and taking all the knowledge I can from those two vets. They had a lot of good tape and I’m a fan of their game.”
Both players have been in the league since 2018, giving them much more experience than Porter, who only has one full season under his belt. Porter has potential to be an NFL star, and having those veterans to teach him the tricks of the trade could be a huge help in his development. Also, if Jackson can be an upgrade over what Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson gave the Steelers last year, Porter’s job should become much easier.
Elliott should also help create more stability at the safety position, a spot where the Steelers struggled with last year after they were decimated by injuries. If both remain healthy, Elliott and Minkah Fitzpatrick should provide more support behind Porter. The Steelers has been at their best defensively when they’ve had a tight-knit unit that communicates well. With how well Jackson and Elliott seem to be fitting in, this Steelers secondary has the potential to be the best it’s been in years.
Jackson has also reportedly impressed so far in camp, which doesn’t mean everything because the Steelers have only had one padded practice, but it’s a good sign. With all the great quarterbacks in the AFC like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, having a strong secondary is the key to winning games. If the Steelers want to finally win a playoff game, they’ll need Porter to take all that knowledge from Elliott and Jackson and put it into practice as soon as possible.
