4 players already tumbling down the depth chart at Steelers training camp

Steelers haven’t been keen on Chandon Sullivan

After the draft wrapped up, the Steelers were quick to add veteran slot defender Chandon Sullivan. An experienced player, he didn’t have a lot of competition on the roster heading into training camp. Despite having some lackluster film over the past few seasons, the expectation was that this was Sullivan’s job to lose.

That hasn’t been the case so far. Unsurprisingly, Patrick Peterson has taken on the Cam Sutton role of passing down slot cornerback. The team still wants a more physical presence there for run-downs though, and, in theory, Sullivan would profile well there.

One of the first names to get that opportunity was veteran Duke Dawson. While Dawson has the pedigree, he has yet to develop into a capable starter and has been a journeyman as of late in the league. The Steelers were willing to give him an early look though once camp opened.

Other defensive backs have been active so far in camp. Madre Harper has flashed some strong tape, although he doesn’t profile as a slot defender. On the other hand, Elijah Riley and Kenny Robinson both have been aggressive and have taken advantage of the opportunities on defense. They look the part more than Sullivan does.

While there is still a lot of camp left to get through, Sullivan has to have taken one of the bigger tumbles down the depth chart so far. He entered training camp as the favorite to start in the slot, but his lacking play as well as the good play from other names has caused Sullivan to quickly fall down the depth chart.