Pittsburgh Steelers: Exploring potential cornerback options before trade deadline

1. Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears

Of the three players on this list, Jaylon Johnson is the most likely option for the Steelers. The Chicago Bears are sitting at 1-5, and with Justin Fields nursing a hand injury, they will almost definitely be sellers at the Trade Deadline. The team could use any assets it can get, and Johnson is one of the most likely players that they trade.

Johnson is only 24 years old but is in the last year of his rookie contract, so the team would have to give him a raise if they wanted to keep him. Johnson was a second-round selection out of Utah and has been a consistent starter at the NFL level. While he has been a solid starter at the NFL level, he has just one interception in his career and is a part of one of the league's worst secondaries, so the team will likely be looking to completely overhaul this unit next year.

He's a little bigger than Jones and Jackson and isn't quite the athlete that they are. However, he is much younger and could be a piece that the Steelers pair up long-term on the outside with Porter. For the right price, he could be a very nice addition to the Steelers, as a low-risk, extremely high-reward option. While he hasn't been as good as the Bears hoped he'd be when they drafted him, he has been solid, and a change of scenery could do wonders for him, and fully unlock his potential.

While none of these three cornerbacks is the sexy move that many have wanted the team to make in acquiring Pat Surtain, they are much more realistic options for the team to pursue. Not only would the team have to give up a ransom for Surtain, but he would then be on track to be another defender whom the team has to pay top dollar for when his contract expires. Acquiring one of these more realistic options would be perfect for the Steelers, as they wouldn't have to give up too much in a trade, but would also significantly upgrade a huge weakness on the team.