Pittsburgh Steelers: 4 players who must improve in 2018

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 14: Artie Burns #25 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a defensive stop against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Heinz Field on January 14, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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PITTSBURGH, PA – JANUARY 14: Keelan Cole #84 of the Jacksonville Jaguars makes a catch defended by Artie Burns #25 and Joe Haden #21 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Heinz Field on January 14, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Artie Burns

Artie Burns is the second member of the secondary that had problems in 2017. With the signing of Joe Haden, Burns’ expectations weren’t as high, but he was still expected to be a strong force in this pass defense.

That wasn’t the case. While Burns did play well a lot of the time, he was beat deep in almost every game. He definitely improved overall since his rookie campaign, but when you have issues covering the deep ball in today’s NFL, you’re not going to keep a job.

Cameron Sutton looks to be very promising. If he comes out hot in 2018, he could force the coaches’ hands in putting him on the outside. This might move Burns to the slot where he won’t need to cover the long ball, but it could also push him to the free agent market in 2019.

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