3 biggest beneficiaries of Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 offseason

CB James Pierre

Big break: Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton leaving in FA

Perhaps James Pierre could have done enough to stand out and work his way up the roster eventually, but he’s going to have ample opportunity now. In fact, there’s a chance he could be the biggest beneficiary of the Steelers 2021 offseason on the team.

While Pierre finally saw the field on the defensive side of the ball this year, he very likely would have been buried on the depth chart still in his second season if a few things didn’t go his way. For starters, both Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton departed in free agency, as the Steelers simply didn’t have enough cap space to keep them around.

Despite being razor-thin at the position, did nothing to address cornerback in the NFL Draft when some thought they were destined to dip into the position with one of their top two picks. Combine all of this with the fact that Justin Layne started to fall out of favor with the coaching staff late in the season and was arrested after a gun possession incident earlier this offseason.

A lot of chips fell in place for James Pierre to potentially assert himself as the team’s third cornerback this season – making him one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Steelers offseason.

The Steelers have plenty of other players who will be given opportunities to see the field more often in 2021 after a lot of roster turnover this offseason, but these three guys could prove to benefit the most. Let’s hope they capitalize on their opportunities.