With a rebuilt secondary featuring star-level talent in Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle a bit.
But veteran Brandin Echols is doing his best to make some noise and create some splash early in Pittsburgh Steelers training camp.
On Sunday, he did just that, recording his first interception of camp in the Seven Shots drill, picking off quarterback Mason Rudolph, according to the Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko.
While most of the attention in the secondary is centered on the likes of Slay, Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr. and DeShon Elliott, Echols continues to go about his business, making plays and drawing attention.
Head coach Mike Tomlin praised Echols Sunday after training camp practice No. 4.
“I like Echols a lot. He’s a hardworking guy. He’s a professional,” Tomlin said, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “Certainly, we’ve competed against him in the past, not only as a defender, but as a core [special] teamer. That’s a veteran guy, man, that brings that energy every day.
“And so, he’s made some plays and it’s reasonable to expect that to continue.”
Echols was an under-the-radar signing this offseason but with his experience and versatility not only on defense, but special teams, too, the fourth-year veteran could play a large role for the Steelers this season.
While with the New York Jets, Echols logged 1,380 snaps defensively, with 1,057 at outside cornerback and 169 snaps in the slot. His slot experience is limited, but it’s an area Echols where could see more playing time in Pittsburgh.
Along with his experience defensively, Echols brings 703 career snaps on special teams. The Steelers know him well, having played against him in 2022 and 2024. Though Echols struggled in last season’s matchup, allowing five receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns in the Sunday Night Football game, the Steelers were impressed enough to make him a priority this offseason, landing him on a two-year deal.
Now, he’s making plays in training camp and garnering praise from Tomlin. The arrow is pointing up for Echols. Hopefully he can continue to build off it and carve out a role defensively and on special teams for the Steelers.
