Grading the Pittsburgh Steelers cornerbacks in 2019

The Pittsburgh Steelers have never been a team known for having great cornerbacks, but that could soon change. Here’s how I graded their cornerbacks heading into the 2019 season.

As long as I can remember, the Steelers have never had a group of cornerbacks to boast about. Even during their Super Bowl years in the early 2000’s, Pittsburgh touted a group comprised of Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, and William Gay.

Though the absence of a great cornerback corps is something Steelers fans have grown accustomed to, there are a few reason why this could change. Here is how I graded the Steelers cornerbacks heading into the 2019 season:

Joe Haden

Joe Haden is the clear leader (and one of the only seasoned veterans) of the Steelers defensive backfield. Though he hasn’t yet finished a full season healthy with the Steelers, he is the guy they look to in their secondary to cover the best wide receiver. We saw this when he was asked to shadow DeAndre Hopkins.

Haden was a solid addition to their cornerbacks in 2017, but at 30 years old, he may just have a few good years left in the tank.

Steven Nelson

Steven Nelson was a welcome addition to the secondary this offseason. The former Chiefs cornerback was the most targeted player in the league last season, but he surprisingly allowed just a 53.1 catch percentage and a passer rating of 76.8 on the season. He was Pro Football Focus’s 21st ranked NFL cornerback in 2018.

Justin Layne

Layne is a freakishly long and athletic rookie cornerback from Michigan State, who many thought would have been off the board well before pick 83 in the draft. However, to the surprise of Mel Kiper (among others), the Steelers were able to land Layne in the 3rd round. Justin Layne won’t get a lot of playing time from the gate, but he has limitless potential with his quick feet and ability to mirror wide receivers.

Mike Hilton

The Steelers have to be pleased with what nickle cornerback, Mike Hilton, has brought to the table. The former undrafted rookie stands at just 5’9”, but displays impressive ability to wrap up and adds physicality to their secondary that Pittsburgh loves to see. He is excellent when blitzing from the slot, and has produced 5.0 sacks over the past two seasons. It will be interesting to see if the Steelers offer him an extension beyond this year.

Artie Burns

Artie Burns had his confidence shaken, rattled, and thrown off a cliff last season. As a former 1st round pick in 2016, he was benched for journeyman, Coty Sensabaugh (which tells you everything you need to know about the Steelers’ confidence in him). Burns has a big uphill battle with Justin Layne aboard, and he is not a lock to make the roster this year.

Cameron Sutton

Sutton really hasn’t panned out the way the Steelers would have hoped when they took him in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He dressed for 15 games last season, but was less than stellar when called upon, and didn’t play enough snaps to qualify for a grade from Pro Football Focus this season.

Overall cornerback grade: B+

I truly believe this group of cornerbacks has a chance to be better than any tandem we have seen in recent years. With a veteran and former Pro Bowler, a young, battle-tested free agent signing, a rookie with worlds of upside, and a reliable nickle, the Steelers are loaded with talent and depth right now.

Still, these cornerbacks have yet to play an NFL snap together on the same team. If Haden, Nelson, Hilton, and Layne can each do their jobs (and hopefully create some turnovers), the Steelers will have a much better secondary in 2019.