The starting tandem of outside corners for the Pittsburgh Steelers is in pretty good shape entering the 2024 season, but things could get interesting in a hurry if either Joey Porter Jr. or Donte Jackson are forced to miss time. Cory Trice Jr. would likely be the one to replace either if an injury occurred.
While Trice has a lot of upside, he’s a second-year player who missed the entirety of his rookie season with a major knee injury. He is listed on the depth chart as the top backup to Jackson with Rush the top backup to Porter. But based on the preseason snap counts, Trice is likely in line to be the first off the bench.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was asked what kind of impact Trice can have on the defense after practice on Thursday.
“We kind of brought him along slow in that regard, letting him get his feet back underneath him after the surgery,” Austin said in a transcript provided by the team. “But he’s been continuing to grow, and he gets better every week, and so I anticipate his role as the season goes on will grow, and we’ll try to bring him along and use him where we think he can have some success and really help us.”
Trice played in all three preseason games and registered 66 snaps on defense. The majority of those were on the outside, but he also played two snaps in the slot and eight in the box, per charting from Pro Football Focus.
Austin acknowledged Thursday that Jackson, acquired in the Diontae Johnson trade, has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career. The only time he has played in all possible games was his rookie season back in 2018. He was pretty healthy last season but still missed one game with a shoulder injury.
Chances are pretty good that Jackson will miss at least some time this season, which would likely force Trice into action.
According to PFF’s preseason grades, Trice actually held up really well. He posted an 81.3 overall grade on defense, including an 80.3 coverage grade, a 75.4 run-defense grade, and a 78.6 tackling grade.
He has all of the tools that the Steelers look for in a corner. He is big, long, and athletic in a similar vein as Porter. He was drafted in the seventh round last year, but his college tape showed a much better player than your typical seventh rounder. Trice’s injury history pushed him down the draft board, and the Steelers took a chance on him. If he can stay healthy and progress throughout this season into a larger role, the Steelers’ secondary will be in much better shape.
