5 Steelers playing for their jobs at training camp

1. Steelers may not have a need for Levi Wallace

Levi Wallace will be closely watching the backups behind him entering training camp, as he has one of the weirdest spots on the roster. Patrick Peterson was brought in to be a starter, and the team drafted Joey Porter to also man down a side, which leaves Wallace as a potential third cornerback for this team.

That isn’t a bad role for him, and frankly, you could do a lot worse than Wallace as your cornerback three. Add in the playing time a third cornerback could see due to the amount of three corner sets, and you want an established guy there. Even if/when Porter takes over for Wallace, he shouldn’t be in trouble just yet.

The issue lies behind him. James Pierre flashed some strong tape as a reserve cornerback last season and is a viable special teams player. Cory Trice has a lot of hype surrounding him, and while he needs to prove himself, he could also be a sleeper contender for a role on defense sooner than later.

If either were to jump Wallace as the third cornerback, he suddenly becomes a very expensive depth. Wallace doesn’t normally get work on special teams either, so his impact would be hampered. While I would expect him to battle Porter for the second cornerback role, he will likely eventually lose that role. If anyone else jumps him, he could easily find himself expendable.

While the majority of the Steelers roster is fighting for their spots and jobs, these five, in particular, should be highlighted. They have some stiff competition in training camp, and if they come out the other side as a loser, they may be looking for a new role or even a new team before the new season begins.