5 positions Steelers must rebuild from the ground up in 2022

Steelers need to rebuild cornerback

For the longest time, Steelers had one of the most mediocre cornerback rooms in the NFL. Finally, with the addition of Joe Haden, the team began to actually invest in this unit and get good play out of it. They followed that up by developing names like Mike Hilton and signing players like Steven Nelson, all of which made this unit nearly elite for a few seasons. Now, this cornerback room is in transition and this off-season will be critical to the long-term success of this group on the team’s defense.

Haden, the original savior of the group, is a free agent and at his age is not likely to return. Ahkello Witherspoon, added to the team by late trade before the season began, finally played well at the end of the year. His price tag is very much a mystery, but if he is reasonable enough to sign on a one-to-two-year deal, he should be added to this team without question. Beyond that though, a free agent, a rookie, or both can and should be added to this roster by next season.

While a first-round pick may be rich for the team, names like Ahmad Gardner would be hard to pass up if available. More than likely, the group targets a free agent cornerback. Names like Donte Jackson, J.C. Jackson, or Carlton Davis could all be top-level names brought in. As well, the team could target more of a mid-range name.

No matter who is brought in, this room needs to look very different from how it looks at the beginning of 2021. The Steelers have to reinvest in this group because if not they will quickly be reminded of what this group was like before Haden was added so many years ago.