The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of pressing needs to fill during the 2023 offseason. In addition to some major holes at the linebacker position and the need to upgrade their offensive line, cornerback should be a high priority on their list.
Cameron Sutton is Pittsburgh's most important pending free agent this offseason and locking him up to a long-term extension will be a move the Steelers work diligently to make sure gets done. However, even if Sutton comes back, the Steelers still need to upgrade the CB position. Here are the best available free agents they should pursue during the 2023 offseason.
5. Mike Hughes would give Steelers another physical CB
Mike Hughes was a high-profile name coming out of UCF back in 2018, but he hasn't quite lived up to his billing. Much of this was due to suffering a few major injuries in his first three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Hughes found himself on his third NFL team as a member of the Lions last year after spending the 2021 season in Kansas City.
The good news is that Hughes just turned 26 years old and is just about to enter his prime years. While Detroit's secondary was suspect with the 30th-ranked pass defense last season, Hughes was a physical presence. Though he did struggle in coverage too often, he was excellent against the run -- earning an 81.1 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus.
At 5'10'', Hughes isn't the most ideal fit, as the Steelers could really use a quality boundary cornerback with size and length. But like Sutton, he can play both outside and in the slot and his versatility is an asset. Hughes should be a name on their radar in free agency and would come at a very reasonable cost.
4. Byron Murphy is a younger Cameron Sutton
We know how happy the Steelers must be with the way that Cameron Sutton has performed since being selected by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. If they are looking for another player just like him (and they very well could be), Byron Murphy makes perfect sense.
At 5'11 and 190 pounds, Murphy is nearly identical in size to Sutton and their play styles mirror each other. Murphy is a smart player who's a smooth mover in coverage but doesn't wow you with elite length or athletic traits at the position. Still, he doesn't have any glaring holes in his game as he is equally as good in run defense as he is in coverage.
Murphy played most of his snaps out wide but still kicked into the slot for 130 snaps last year. His fourth season in 2022 is on track to be the best of his career so far, but injuries forced him to miss 8 games. He still managed to record 2 interceptions and a defensive touchdown.
The former 33rd overall pick would instantly become the second-best cornerback on the Steelers and Pittsburgh could pair him in a starting role with Sutton. Though he doesn't offer traits different from what this team already has, I doubt Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin would be upset with another Cam Sutton-like player in their secondary.
3. Rock Ya-Sin was on the Steelers draft radar in 2019
The Pittsburgh Steelers clearly were infatuated with Devin Bush in the 2019 NFL Draft -- so much so that Kevin Colbert traded into the top 10 in order to select him. However, there were rumors that this team would have taken Rock Ya-Sin in the first round had they stayed put at their original selection.
Ya-Sin ultimately fell to the Colts with the 34th overall pick. He had a respectable rookie season in which he started 13 of the 15 games he played. However, the overall sample we have seen from Ya-Sin has been a little underwhelming. While he has improved his consistency in coverage, Rock has just 2 career interceptions in 52 games played.
This is less than ideal, but the Steelers might be willing to gamble on the player they once loved during the pre-draft process. The good news is that Ya-Sin is just 26 years old and has strung together two solid seasons in back-to-back years.
At roughly 6'0'' and 192 pounds with 32'' arms, Ya-Sin would offer quality size for an outside cornerback in Pittsburgh. He would slide in as the number two cornerback behind Cameron Sutton where he would play almost solely on the outside.
2. James Bradberry would give Steelers a premier CB
If the Pittsburgh Steelers really want to get serious about upgrading the cornerback position, they could do so in a substantial way by going after James Bradberry. The Philadelphia Eagles cornerback has been a topic of discussion since the Super Bowl as his questionable defensive holding call late in the contest may have cost the Eagles a shot at a title.
Don't let that distract you from the player that Bradberry is. Over the past three years, Bradberry has been one of the best lock-down cornerbacks in the NFL. This past season in Philadelphia, he earned the 7th-best coverage grade among all NFL cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Bradberry turns 30 years old this offseason, but age might not matter much to the Steelers right now, as they are trying to crack their Super Bowl window wide open. With already having T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, and with Cameron Heyward in his final years, the addition of Bradberry could help elevate this defense to an elite level once again.
The biggest issue is that Bradberry won't come cheap, and the Steelers would need to be willing to devote a lot of money in free agency to just one player. There's little doubt he would make the defense much better, and he's a free agent Pittsburgh must consider.
1. Jamel Dean is the top free agent cornerback of 2023
If the Steelers want to aim for the fences, they could go all in with the top cornerback in free agency in 2023: Jamel Dean. The Buccaneers took Dean in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft after already taking Sean Murphy-Bunting in the second round, but Dean proved to be the better player of the two.
In his first four years in the NFL, Dean has consistently graded out as a top-20 player at his position -- falling below 12th overall just one time. The former Auburn product has outstanding size and length to go with legitimate 4.3 speed and a 41'' vertical. These traits can be seen on film often as Dean can make up for any shortcomings or mental lapses with his unique traits.
The best part is that Dean is just 26 years old and has an incredibly bright future ahead of him. The sky is the limit for his potential and he's already considered a top-15 cornerback in the NFL. Sadly, Dean will cost a pretty penny as his calculated market value is $16.5 million in projected annual earnings, according to Sportrac.
Regardless, this is the premier free agent of the 2023 cornerback class and he would add another potential superstar to Pittsburgh's defense which already has three All-Pro players. Finding the cap space would be a challenge, but he might just be worth it.