The Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback room is already taking shape and we are only in the middle of May. Heading into the offseason, it was seen as a huge area of need. When Cam Sutton left for the Detroit Lions in free agency, the need only got bigger. The front office addressed the position in a big way by selecting two talented, lengthy DB's in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers DB Cam Sutton was the team's best and most consistent cornerback in 2022.
Just after the draft, the team suddenly had a ton of depth at corner. A few guys would be left out, but that seemingly wouldn't happen until roster cuts in August. Wrong. Ahkello Witherspoon became the latest guy to be released on Wednesday morning, as it was Arthur Maulet just over a week ago. Those are two guys that were on last year's team that are now free agents.
All along, Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace have been locks to make the 53-man roster. Joey Porter Jr. obviously joins that group after being picked 32nd overall in the recent draft. With the recent releases, rookie seventh-rounder Cory Trice Jr. suddenly feels like a lock as well. He was expected to go in the middle rounds, but Pittsburgh somehow landed him with the 241st pick.
Beyond those four, it leaves for one or two guys remaining. Guarding the slot remains the biggest concern, as that was Maulet's main duty the past two seasons. The team has struggled to replace that spot ever since Mike Hilton left for the Cincinnati Bengals. It gives Chandon Sullivan a decent shot at making the roster, as that is his primary position. He has started 31 career games in five seasons.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
After a difficult start to his first season in Pittsburgh, Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace (#29) bounced back nicely in the second half of the campaign.
The team clearly likes Luq Barcoo, as they felt comfortable enough to sign him to a contract. Barcoo most recently starred in the XFL for the San Antonio Brahmas. Before that, he had some experience in the NFL for a few different teams. Duke Dawson is an intriguing name to watch as well, but the 2018 second-rounder has been unable to stay healthy in his career thus far.
Who will Steelers' CB's be in 2023?
James Pierre can't be forgotten about either, particularly because of his impact on special teams. He's spent the past three seasons in Pittsburgh, appearing in 667 special teams snaps in that span. On the flip side, he's started just two career games at corner. If the team opts to carry six corners on its roster, it seems like the three aforementioned names will be fighting for that last spot.
Locks: Porter Jr., Peterson, Wallace
Near locks: Trice Jr., Sullivan
Fighting for potential 6th spot: Dawson, Pierre, Barcoo
JORDAN SCHOFIELD / STEELERNATION (TWITTER: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers cornerback James Pierre could be on his way out of town after a few years in Pittsburgh.
Safety Tre Norwood has the versatility to play corner too, so the team could very well carry just five true CB's. All in all, just months after it was seen as a major area of need, the cornerback position is seeming to shape itself out in Pittsburgh. The team's expectations will be quite high in 2023, and that won't be any different with these talented defensive backs.
What are your thoughts on the revitalization of the cornerback room? Are you confident this room has what it takes to help this defense be elite? Who is the X-factor amongst these CB's? What are your predictions? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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