The Steelers cornerback room is extremely new this offseason, and here is a compiled ranking of the team’s roster.
Cornerback has become one of the more important positions in the new pass-happy NFL. While never a position of true strength, the Steelers have had a relatively consistent group there in recent seasons.
There are a lot of new and unproven faces amongst this group though. As of this writing, here is a compiled ranking of all ten of the Steelers cornerbacks currently on the roster.
Steelers CB #10-#8
Quite frankly, it would be unfair to rank the Steelers bottom of the roster cornerbacks individually as all three have, essentially, no track record in the NFL and have long odds to contribute to the final squad. These three names are Linden Stephens, Carlins Platel, and Chris Steele. Two of these players are undrafted rookies and the other is a veteran with 65 career NFL snaps.
Frankly, even with so much uncertainty at the position, any of these three players are longshots to make the roster. Worse yet, given that each of these three players are roughly the same size, odds are they are all competing for outside cornerback jobs. There is a lot more depth there than along the inside, which makes their roster odds even worse.
The only chance any of these three names even sniff the roster is due to injury. Even then, the team may opt for a veteran if they need a starter due to an injury to someone else. There is no specific ranking here, as all three are essentially in the same spot right now. It would be shocking to see these players make an impact.
Steelers CB #7
One of the biggest disappointments from the recent Steelers draft classes, Justin Layne has failed to live up to any expectations that were placed on him after being a third-round pick. While the expectation was that Layne would need some time to fully develop into a capable corner, his size and potential made him an attractive developmental option.
While he quickly developed a role on special teams, his actual defensive play has been less than ideal. Though he has barely been able to see the field on defense, he has been picked on when on the field. His coverage numbers are bad, and when he has been called upon in coverage, he has been a liability.
At this point, Layne seems like a special team’s only type of player. His size and athleticism actually make him a good fit there, but his defensive potential is almost nonexistent. The Steelers have constantly chosen different options over Layne even when injuries occurred. If Layne does make the team, it is as a special team player only.
Steelers CB #6
The Steelers were one of the luckiest teams in the NFL when they found Mike Hilton on the street, and he became one of the best slot corners in the league. That success led him to get paid last season and it left a hole in this defense. One of the primary names brought in to replace him due to his run-stopping ability was Arthur Maulet.
To be fair, Maulet played as he was advertised. No one excepted him to suddenly become a strong coverage player. What he does do well is play the run. That physicality was needed, especially after the defensive front suffered so many injuries. While he stepped up admirably to stop the run, his coverage skills continued to be the issue.
Heading into this year, Maulet is in a weird spot on the roster. Sure, his defensive play is questionable but consistent and he can contribute on special teams. That said, he is rather low on the depth chart.
On the other hand, the slot position is pretty shallow right now. Maulet is probably pretty safe right now, but don’t be surprised if ends up missing the cut.
Steelers CB #5
Heading into the top five, options four and five are kind of a toss-up. Ultimately, I decided to slot James Pierre here, as while his stint as a starter last year wasn’t great, he did flash some potential to be a capable defender. Beyond that, Pierre can be a core special teams player. Even if he isn’t on the field, he can still be a valuable player.
Pierre has the size you want in an outside cornerback. As well, he plays with decent physicality both on the line of scrimmage and against the run. He can hold his own in a zone defense. Unfortunately, he struggles with anticipating while in man coverage. If he can’t beat his man at the line, he falls behind and can’t get caught back up.
Though Pierre won’t be counted on as a starter this season, he is a fine backup and a good special teams player. With the top three options at the outside likely taking on most of the defensive roles, Pierre can focus on improving his defensive craft. If an injury occurs, the team can sub Pierre in as well. For a depth player, you could do worse.
Steelers CB #4
A surprise from last year’s draft class, Tre Norwood wasn’t viewed as a great prospect by most. His odds of making the roster weren’t great, yet he quickly established a role in the slot. He is kind of like the inverse of Maulet; he plays well in coverage, but he lacks the physicality to come up and stop the run regularly.
To be fair, Norwood struggled initially in the slot. The team rolled back his responsibilities and had him focus on just playing in dime defense. With the focus on one role, Norwood thrived and developed into a capable coverage player. Now, he is in the driver’s seat for the slot role as the Steelers never brought in a capable slot cornerback to compete with him.
While some could argue that Norwood is technically a safety, he seems to be making the full-time move to the slot role. This seems especially likely with Damontae Kazee, who is a better safety than slot player, now on the roster. Norwood has the slot role for the taking. Odds are he sees an increase in snaps this season.
Steelers CB #3
There should be little argument as to who the Steelers top three cornerbacks are. Sure, debate their order all that you want, but it is clear cut who the top three should be. While I was high on him last year after a solid four years, Cameron Sutton seems like the forgotten man amongst this group. Despite being an entrenched veteran, seeing him as a full-time starter last season wasn’t as good as many had hoped.
Sutton’s main advantage is his game intelligence. He is an extremely smart defender which allows him to gain a better position on a receiver. As well, his instincts keep him ahead of what a receiver may be planning to do. Unfortunately, his size and ability to cover top targets was exposed last season.
Frankly put, it seems as though Sutton is better suited to be in the slot. He played there mostly during his rookie deal but was thrown to the outside with his new deal. Ideally, he can now return to some of those slot duties with the newer additions to this roster. Sutton is a fine player, but his struggles on the outside keep him down on the list.
Steelers CB #2
The top two cornerbacks were hard to figure out. You have one player who is boom or bust, as his great play makes him a prime starter, but his bad plays are obvious. On the other hand, you have a player that is far less flashy but is far more consistent. Ultimately, I put Ahkello Witherspoon as the second-best option due to his play not being consistent.
Witherspoon looked like a bust after the Steelers had traded for him. Despite having some pedigree, he failed to play, and when he saw the field, the results weren’t great. The team turned to him later in the season though and he thrived. By season’s end, he was the top coverage option on the team and was key in producing takeaways.
Now back with the team with the expectation of starting, time will tell which side of Witherspoon is more accurate. If he can pick up where he left off, odds are he will be atop this list and will be hailed as the team’s top cornerback.
That said, there is a real chance his inconsistencies rear their head. While I am hopeful that he plays like he did late last year, he needs to prove it before he can be viewed as the top cornerback.
Steelers CB #1
Despite being the newest addition to the Steelers cornerback room, Levi Wallace already seems like a favorite to be the top guy at cornerback this season. He’s spent his whole career to this point in Buffalo, and he has more than held his own, working his way from an undrafted rookie to a quality starter. While he was never tasked with covering a team’s top target, he is comfortable as a starter.
The reason Wallace takes the top spot here is due to the stability he provides as a player. No, he isn’t a dynamic player like most top cornerbacks are, but he is dependable and reliable. In all honesty, his game is similar to what Joe Haden’s was later in his Steelers career. Age was slowing him down some and taking away some of the flashier plays, but he was smart enough to still be an effective defender.
While Witherspoon and even Sutton could realistically take this spot by season’s end, the safest name has to be Wallace. The veteran is a proven player since he has become a starter and that ability should translate instantly to this defense. While you will never mistake him for a true star cornerback, Wallace is a great player and fit with this team. Unless someone really steps up, Wallace seems like the best name of this group.
The Steelers cornerback room has undergone some changes in recent seasons. While there are some questions amongst this group, there is also quite a bit of talent. As of now though, this seems like the best ranking for this group as the team prepares to begin training camp.