How the Steelers could rearrange their secondary moving forward
Could there be a better fit starting at strong safety for the Steelers
Although Cameron Sutton did not get quality playing time during the 2019 NFL season, he made the most of every snap. Sutton was on the field for 265 total defensive snaps. Terrell Edmunds played a total of 1036 total defensive snaps.
Which leads me to the point that I find it odd that Cameron Sutton played 771 fewer snaps for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, but still came away with more total takeaways, more passes defended, and the same amount of tackles for a loss as Terrell Edmunds during the past season. Plus, to reiterate an earlier point: the opponent’s passer rating is significantly lower when thrown at Sutton(54.1) than Edmunds(131.6).
| 2019 Player Comparison | INT’s | PD | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrell Edmunds | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Cameron Sutton | 1 | 5 | 2 |
Cameron Sutton outperforming the Steelers starting strong safety at these statistical categories, with limited action says a wide variety of things. One being that if Pittsburgh looks to optimize the potential of this defense during the 2020 season, transitioning Sutton in for Terrell Edmunds is the appropriate move to make in the secondary.
Who knows just how productive Cameron Sutton could turn out to be if the team gives the player a significant increase in snaps. Even though Sutton does not have the typical characteristics that make up a strong safety, the Steelers need someone reliable against the pass in a league that is centered around throwing the ball. He is the best option on the roster to replace Terrell Edmunds regardless of the Pittsburgh Steelers drafting Maryland safety Antoine Brooks Jr. in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft.