The Pittsburgh Steelers are making another signing, inking former New York Jets CB Brandin Echols to a contract, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
A sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Echols has appeared in 57 games with 19 starts. For his career, he’s posted 122 tackles with five interceptions. In 2024, he picked off a pair of passes across 16 games (four starts) while registering 40 tackles. Coming out of Kentucky in 2021, Echols measured in at 5101, 179 pounds and showing off elite athleticism with a 4.36 40-yard dash and 42.5-inch vertical at his Wildcats’ Pro Day.
Against the Steelers in 2024, Echols had an active game. He recorded six tackles across 65 defensive snaps in a 37-15 loss. WR George Pickens made multiple big plays against him, including a touchdown grab on Russell Wilson’s first score as a Steeler.
Echols logged over 400 defensive snaps a year ago and another 185 on special teams. He’s logged extensive special teams snaps over his career, including more than 200 in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Per Pro Football Focus, Echols primarily played as an outside corner in 2024, logging 351 snaps there along with nine in the slot. He worked at both outside spots but saw more action at left cornerback (221) than right cornerback (130). However, Echols logged 112 slot snaps in 2023 while only playing 16 out wide, showcasing versatility and potential nickel fit.
Among his most notable plays is this wild interception against the Tennessee Titans in 2024.
He also intercepted Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold for his other 2024 pick.
Pro Football Focus graded him the 98th-best cornerback in the league of 2024. His coverage grade was higher at 72nd though he received poor marks for his tackling, ranking 119th out of 128 qualifiers. Pro Football Reference charged him with three misses this past year with a career-high of 11 coming his rookie year.
Pittsburgh has a hole at cornerback after losing Donte Jackson to the Los Angeles Chargers while Cam Sutton and James Pierre are officially free agents. Third-year CB Cory Trice Jr. has potential but struggled to stay healthy over his first two NFL seasons, tearing his ACL as a rookie and missing half of the 2024 season due to a hamstring injury.
It’s unclear if the Echols’ signing is in place of or in addition to Eagles cornerback Darius Slay. Multiple reports indicated that the Steelers and Slay had agreed to a deal, but other outlets disputed anything was finalized. Currently, he remains under contract with the Eagles and has yet to be officially released.
Echols is the Steelers’ third reported signing, joining ILB Malik Harrison and RB Kenneth Gainwell. The team is also expected to finalize the DK Metcalf trade later today.
