Steelers 4 takeaways from initial training camp depth chart

Antoine Brooks Jr. is listed as the starting Nickle Corner

Antoine Brooks Jr. didn’t make the initial 53 man roster in 2020 but he is already well on his way to accomplishing that in 2021. He is listed as the starter at the coveted Nickle spot for this Steelers defense. Whoever wins this spot for the regular season will have giant shoes to fill. Mike Hilton was one of the best corners in the NFL to play this spot but he is now gone from the team.

Brooks is a surprising early choice by the team since he did not get much playing time last year and is kind of sprung into this role. They spoke highly about this player coming out of Maryland and it is tough to not forget that. He is a very versatile player that can be used all over the secondary. He will get the start in Canton during the Hall of Fame Game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Although Brooks is in the starting spot, for now, that could change in an instant. This is a completely open competition for this spot on the starting defense. There are a lot of inexperienced players on this team and they will truly have to win playing time during the pre-season games and practices. James Pierre and Arthur Mullet could be other names to watch for when it comes to this starting spot. Also, don’t count out the undrafted free agents that could scrap their way into a starting role or another way to find playing time.

The Steelers still have a lot of work to do between now and the regular season but this depth chart is interesting. There will be a lot of tinkering with this chart before the season begins.