The slot cornerback position has remained a major area of need for the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout the offseason. It appears it’s an even greater need now following the release of veteran cornerback Thomas Graham Jr.
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Steelers are moving on from Graham despite him being in contention for their slot cornerback job.
Graham was a sleeper candidate at the slot cornerback position entering training camp and then quietly worked his way up, receiving first-team reps in training camp and the preseason.
The Oregon product, who entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft, was one of the few players on the roster at the slot cornerback position who had actual NFL experience. In 11 career NFL games, Graham has logged 19 total tackles, 11 solo tackles, one tackle for loss, and four passes defensed.
The Steelers are going in a different direction though.
Graham’s release means that rookie undrafted free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. might be moving closer to a starting role in the slot for the Steelers, though his status remains in question too ahead of the 4 p.m. deadline to get the roster down to 53 players.
During the preseason, Graham saw action in all three games, playing 56 snaps on defense, including 43 in the slot. He played 20 snaps in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Saturday.
In the preseason, Graham graded out at a 70.9 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 69.1 in coverage, a 69.8 as a pass rusher and a 63.8 against the run. In coverage, Graham allowed two receptions on three targets for 25 yards.
With Graham’s release, the slot cornerback position remains murky. Just a few days ago, Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said that someone needed to step up and take the position. That didn’t exactly happen, so the Steelers are moving on from Graham. They could be searching for a veteran to come in at the position, much like they did last summer following final roster cuts with Desmond King though that didn’t work out in the end.
