With the Steelers needing some new faces in the secondary, here are eight free-agent cornerbacks that the team could sign in 2022.
The Steelers saw some heavy turnover at the cornerback position in 2021, and with Joe Haden and potentially Ahkello Witherspoon set to depart, the team will once again be in the market for a cornerback. Even if the team retains Witherspoon (this is something that should happen), they will need another starting-caliber cornerback in 2022.
Here are eight free-agent cornerbacks that the Steelers could sign in the offseason.
Steelers could sign King
Kevin King is a famous name from the Green Bay Packers. It isn’t for his play though (which has developed but isn’t incredible). Famously, the Packers traded back in the 2017 draft with the expectation that T.J. Watt would fall to the top of the second round.
The Steelers, who picked right after the Packers, greatly benefited from this trade, to say the least. That all said, King has developed into a respectable cornerback at this point in his career.
A physical freak coming out of school, King needed some time to develop at the pro level. Now, he is a good not great option for a team that needs some corner help. While expecting him to suddenly take his game to the next level is foolish, he can be a fine second or third option for the team in a pinch.
King has the size, athleticism, and pedigree the team craves in a player and overall he would be a solid pickup for this cornerback room.
Steelers should add Moreau
Another name in the lower tier, Fabian Moreau has never developed into a star for either Washington or the Falcons, but he has proven to be a fine number two option when called upon. He had an unspectacular season with Atlanta in 2021, and while his numbers were just ok, he was never a major liability that would be picked on by opposing quarterbacks.
What’s nice about Moreau is that his contract shouldn’t break the bank given his play and he is man and zone scheme flexible. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really excel at either coverage, although his physical traits make him seem like a better man coverage cornerback. He would be a cheap and flexible option to add more depth to a soon-to-be depleted secondary.
The reason he slightly outpaces King here is that despite being average, he can give you that level of play for an entire game. King has been known to progressively get more exposed the more he is on the field. Moreau is slightly less flashy but far more consistent. He wouldn’t be a huge addition, but he can provide a stable element in what will likely be a new Steelers secondary in 2022.
Steelers should add Williams
A unique player, Darious Williams had an interesting path to the NFL. In college, he was a hybrid player, serving as a receiver, a running back, a return man, and a cornerback before going undrafted. Ultimately, he stuck at cornerback, and results have been surprisingly good. He has put together two solid years as the Rams starting cornerback opposite of Jalen Ramsey.
Williams is a flexible corner that can play either man or zone well. The Rams run a relatively versatile system that requires their corners to do either. He has proven his worth, usually getting targeted over the aforementioned Ramsey and holding his own to this point. His quarterback rating when being targeted has never been above a 90.8 despite the fact that he is usually the target in coverage.
The biggest drawback to Williams is his size. While the Steelers don’t require their outside cornerbacks to be huge (although recent draft history is favoring that), Williams has the size of a typical slot cornerback. He is only 5’9, extremely short for any defensive back. This makes him a potential mismatch with bigger receivers. His tenacity has paid dividends, but his size would likely keep the Steelers away from him in the offseason.
Steelers should sign Hughes
Mike Hughes fell out of favor fast with the Vikings. After being drafted in the first round, the expectation was for the athletic Hughes to take on a starting role. That never materialized, and he was traded to the Chiefs for a late-round pick this past offseason. While he never became a true starter with the Chiefs, he did play astronomically better when on the field with them.
He only played on 46 percent of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps, but he put up some of the better coverage statistics of his career. Better yet, the Chiefs run a typical Cover-1 scheme for their defense, meaning that Hughes was doing all of this while in man coverage. There is some risk with him still, but the Steelers have to be interested.
His drawbacks are numerous. He only has one good season to his name, and he has never played more than 64 percent of the defensive snaps in a season. That said, he fits what the team looks for in a cornerback, and that first-round pedigree will be appealing. If the team opts to spend some of their cap space elsewhere, Hughes could be an affordable reclamation project for the Steelers to take on.
Steelers should sign Ward
While Hughes is the high-risk, high-reward type of a corner at this point, Charvarius Ward has taken a more typical path to free agency. Undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State, Ward was a starter by year two for the Chiefs. It wasn’t always pretty for Ward, as his skill set wasn’t always great, but his athleticism was enough early on. Now, he has developed into a decent starter with more room to grow.
Ward has had arguably his most consistent season this year. He has locked down the one outside cornerback role for the team and has been praised for his work there. While some will point to the issues, he had in defending Ja’Marr Chase, most corners struggled in that regard. Meanwhile, Ward still posted a solid quarterback rating of 78.7 when targeted and came away with two interceptions.
At this point, Ward should be paid like a lower-tier starting cornerback, as he has yet to have a dominant season but would be a great starter in the role like Steven Nelson had. While he can hang with a team’s top threat, he is better suited as the second cornerback. The Steelers would be wise to add the ascending cornerback.
Steelers should sign Jackson
A name I have already written about, one of the best fits for the Steelers secondary based on his skill set and athleticism has to be Donte Jackson. The former LSU now Panther has enjoyed a steady four seasons since being drafted in the second round of the draft. He has progressed every season and was putting together his best campaign yet before a groin injury knocked him out for the remainder of the year.
Jackson is a bit underweight, but he makes up for that with blazing speed making it hard to beat him deep. He has functioned as a primary boundary cornerback for the Panthers since he was drafted and would do well to stay in that role with the Steelers. While the names previously mentioned on this list would be more akin to number two cornerbacks, Jackson is the first certified star on this list.
That stardom will come at a cost, as Jackson will likely earn a contract worth far more than any of the other names on this list. As well, he played in a zone-heavy scheme, something that the Steelers defense has shied away from. His speed should allow him to translate into a decent man corner when called upon though. If the Steelers want to add a premier starter, Jackson is a great option.
Steelers should sign Davis
While Jackson is the speedy freak that can keep up with any receiver, Carlton Davis has the makings of a classic lanky shut-down cornerback. He has the size and the strength to bully receivers at the line of scrimmage and he has enough athleticism to cover deep routes. He has ascended into one of the best young corners in the league after being a second-round pick by the Buccaneers and now he will look to get paid.
He is a prototypical man cornerback, as he uses his size at the line to disrupt routes and uses his length to break up contested passes. He can be burnt occasionally by fast receivers, and he isn’t the best at covering sharp route runners, but he makes up for it by his instincts and reaction time. He is close to a perfect man cornerback and is well-deserving of a mega-contract.
The caveat with Davis is that his cost will likely be astronomical this season. Assuming the Buccaneers let him walk, he is projected to get a deal worth around 19.5 million dollars a season. That is a hefty chunk of money for a cornerback, but the Steelers may be able to afford it. If the team is dedicated to rebuilding this secondary, Davis would be a promising piece.
The Steelers should sign Jackson
The crown jewel of this free agency class, J.C. Jackson will likely break some records if he is allowed to test free agency by the Patriots. If the Steelers were to design a cornerback for this roster, Jackson would be the guy. He has good size, good athleticism, and a tenacity for taking the ball away. Add in his familiarity with a man defense and you legitimately have the perfect package at cornerback.
Jackson fell out of his draft due to some rough off-the-field concerns, but he has blossomed into one of the league’s best cornerbacks. Despite only starting 11 games over his first two seasons, he recorded eight interceptions. In his four years total as a pro, he is up to 25 picks, an obscene number for a player to achieve. This doesn’t come at a cost to his efficiency in coverage either, as Jackson has allowed a quarterback rating of 43 this season when targeted.
To say Jackson is playing at an elite level is an understatement. He is looking like a young Darrell Revis with how he is shutting down opposing receivers and creating turnovers. That talent will cost a team though, as Jackson is projected to get a deal worth almost 21 million dollars a season if he hits the open market. Adding him would come at a cost, but the Steelers’ defense would be potent if they could sign such a player.
The Steelers will likely be in the market for a new cornerback this offseason as Haden is set to depart the team. Considering the team’s history of drafting cornerbacks and the plethora of talented pending free agents, the team can and should look to add a veteran at the position. These eight cornerbacks all make sense for a Steelers team looking to add a starter.