Steelers vs Panthers: 3 Pittsburgh backups who could still unseat starters

Steelers CB Justin Layne

The Steelers run their nickel defense a majority of the time, so yes, I would consider them to have three starting cornerbacks. Assuming that Cameron Sutton is going to be kicking inside in nickel packages (especially now that Antoine Brooks has been placed on IR), most automatically assume that James Pierre is going to be the next man up. However, this race to be the starting RCB in nickel might be closer than you think.

Justin Layne has been making a case over the past few weeks and has actually graded out significantly better than Pierre in each of the last two preseason contests, via PFF. Over his last two games, Layne has displayed tighter coverage while earning an interception and two-pass defenses.

In addition, Mike Tomlin has recently spoken highly of Layne and noted the improvements he’s made this summer. While this doesn’t mean that he’s running ahead of Pierre on the depth chart, it could be a close enough contest to come down to the wire.

If Layne out-performs Pierre for the third game in a row and really makes a statement, perhaps that would be enough for the Steelers to give him the first look as an outside cornerback in nickel and see how he does.

There’s no guarantee that the coaches will be open to changing starters this close to the start of the regular season, but these three players should be right in the running to earn bigger roles.