Steelers 53-man roster prediction before 2021 training camp

Steelers Cornerbacks (5)

Joe Haden, Cameron Sutton, James Pierre, Shakur Brown, Stephen Denmark

While the team could keep six here, I think they ultimately split this group with the safties five and five (albeit one of the safeties is slot capable). The first three names on this list are set in stone as all three will seemingly be starters. James Pierre is the biggest question mark given the fact that he was undrafted last season, but all signs point to him starting on the outside and letting Cameron Sutton play the slot in three corner sets.

Shakur Brown is the upstart undrafted player this season and given his seemingly perfect fit as a slot corner, he should have an inside track at making the roster as a reserve player. Assuming Pierre can hold up on the outside, Brown will likely only be a reserve. That said, he could find his way onto some defensive back heavy groupings such as dime.

I opted to give the last spot to Stephen Denmark, as the big and athletic corner had some tape that flashed in college but hasn’t translated into the pros yet. His primary competition is Justin Layne. While Layne has the draft pedigree, he has struggled so far as a player and had a run-in with the law this offseason. Beyond him, an undrafted player like Mark Gilbert could fight for a spot, but I doubt the team would keep him and Brown as the only two reserves at corner for the season.