Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Hilton is the real deal

There was a little-known player who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year to the practice squad, and he has made a name for himself  this offseason.

No. 40 may be one of the smaller players out there, but he packs a punch. He first made his name as the camp darling. Every year, there seems to be one player that is little known that ends up becoming a contributor for the Steelers.

Mike Hilton’s specialty is as a slot corner. Although William Gay is their primary slot corner, Hilton has earned the role as the second string, slot corner. He earned that role in the offseason workouts before training camp. He also is capable of playing safety, a position the Steelers are relatively thin at and will likely only carry four players at that position on the roster.

This first preseason game really put him on the map. In a stadium game, he showed he can do various things. He first got his name called on special teams making an open field tackle as a gunner.

On the following punt, he recovered a fumbled punt. This shows that he is getting down the field and making smart plays on special teams.

When he played on defense, he impressed by making an open field tackle on a player. Tackling is very important to the Steelers when it comes to their secondary. He also impressed with pressures and a sack on slot blitzes. This shows that he brings an added dimension to the Steelers defense when on the field.

The talk around town is that he is a contender to make the roster. I think he has the inside track to make the roster more than people think because of his play on special teams.

Next: Secret weapons for the Steelers in 2017

At this point, I think it is Brian Allen and Senquez Golston who have to worry about making the team. Golston’s injuries are not going to be tolerated anymore, and Brian Allen has shown in camp that he is still a very raw player.