One Move Each AFC North Team Will Regret Not Making at the Trade Deadline

Pittsburgh Steelers: Failing to Trade for a Veteran Cornerback

It's no secret that the Steelers were linked to some of the top cornerbacks on the market this year at the trade deadline, such as Patrick Surtain, Jaylen Johnson, and others. However, I don't believe they should have made a move for one of them. They were right to inquire about them, but after hearing the asking price they were smart to steer clear of each of them.

However, there were other cornerbacks that they could have asked about ahead of the Trade Deadline, such as Jonathan Jones of the New England Patriots, or Donte Jackson of the Carolina Panthers. Each of these players likely would have been expendable due to the current state of their teams, with both sitting near the bottom of their respective conferences.

Each of them would've provided a huge boost in athleticism over the Steelers veteran cornerbacks, while also providing the versatility to play both in the slot and outside. While neither of these two is quite as good or young as the top corners on the market they are both very solid cornerbacks, who wouldn't have cost as much to trade for as the top guys on the market. Jackson is a little younger than Jones, and thus I think Jones would've been the better target due to him being cheaper to acquire, but both would've been big upgrades for Pittsburgh.

While Pittsburgh was right not to pay the high asking price for the young star corners, they should've made a bigger push for the second tier of options. The Steelers could regret this decision as they still have upcoming matchups against the Bengals (twice), Packers, Seahawks, and Ravens, who could each tear up Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace.