Early in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Brandin Echols. The veteran cornerback is part of a room full of talent, including other new additions in Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay. Despite the position being so crowded, Echols managed to make a name for himself during the team’s three preseason games.
“I think he’s had a great camp and preseason,” Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said Monday after practice via Steelers.com. “He’s been highly competitive, he’s played top down, he’s kept everything in front of him. He certainly is an asset to us. We’ll get more detail in terms of how we divide the labor up as we get closer to game week.”
Echols didn’t get a ton of attention as a new addition this offseason. That’s not surprising since the Steelers brought in so many big-name players. However, he could become one of the more underrated pickups across the league. Echols was decent with the New York Jets, allowing a 60-percent completion rate and a 90.0 passer rating when targeted last year. He was efficient as a tacker, missing just seven percent of his attempts.
Of all that Brandin Echols brings to the table, his versatility may be the most important. That’s something the Steelers are looking for, especially in a secondary that was stale and ineffective to end the 2024 season. It’s evident with Ramsey, who can play both outside and inside at corner and safety this season.
For backups to crack a roster, especially in a position group as stacked as the Steelers are a cornerback, it helps to contribute in multiple ways. That’s something Echols can do, being able to play both inside and outside. It gives him an edge over other players trying to crack the 53-man roster who can only play in one role. Those include players like James Pierre, Cory Trice Jr. and Beanie Bishop Jr. Echols is a lock to make the roster, but his versatility gives him a leg up.
It also helps that he’s had good moments in all three preseason games as well. Pittsburgh won’t be counting on Brandin Echols to play a major role this year. However, he’s the exact type of depth piece the Steelers would hope to have at the position. If one of their starters needs a rest, Echols brings a feisty mentality and plenty of versatility to the defense.
