The Pittsburgh Steelers will be in the market for some new cornerbacks in the 2024 offseason. The team hopes they have found a long-term answer at the position with Joey Porter Jr. emerging as a shutdown corner in the second half of the 2023 season. Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin and Head Coach Mike Tomlin appear to trust the Penn State standout to take away the opposition's best-receiving threat. The team still needs an answer opposite Porter however, and will need a few more cornerbacks to fill the room.
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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, Joey Porter Jr. collects his first interception in a regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens during the 2023 season.
Pittsburgh has cornerbacks James Pierre, Elijah Riley, Chandon Sullivan, and Levi Wallace entering free agency and will need to find replacements. Riley played 13 games for the team in 2023, but played mostly on special teams. He battled in training camp to earn the slot corner role and got some snaps there during the regular season. Due to his limited usage and an injury suffered in Week 11 that forced him to miss four games, Riley could easily be retained by Pittsburgh.
Sullivan told Steelers Takeaways that the team expressed interest in continuing to do business with him. According to Pro Football Focus, Sullivan was primarily used as a slot corner with 336 snaps there, but also played an important role on special teams. If the price is right, a return for Sullivan might not be out of the question.
Matt Starkey / Cleveland Browns
Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace tries to chase down Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford during their 2023 Week 2 matchup.
Wallace seemed to regress in his second season in Pittsburgh. After posting four interceptions in the 2022 season, the undrafted cornerback out of Alabama only had two in 2023. His missed tackle percentage of 13.6% was a significant drop from his 7.7% rate in 2022. Steelers beat writer, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, said recently that he would be looking at other options on the market and in the draft before possibly circling back to Wallace.
Steelers' Top 3 Realistic Options In Free Agency To Fill The Cornerback Void
The Steelers would probably love to land Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears or Kansas City Chiefs cornerback, L'Jarius Sneed, but both are likely to fetch top dollar on the open market. Pittsburgh balked at Cam Sutton's asking price when he hit the open market in 2023 and he landed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Detroit Lions. Pittsburgh might have the money to make a splash, but it doesn't seem likely for them.
Danielle Parhizkaran / USA Today
New York Giants cornerback, Adoree' Jackson celebrates an interception with his teammates.
1) Adoree' Jackson of the New York Giants is an interesting option for the Steelers to consider in free agency. He had a bit of a down year in 2023, but could be an attractive bounce-back candidate. The first-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2017 only had one interception in the 2023 season, but returned it 76 yards for a touchdown. Spotrac.com projects Jackson to fetch a four-year contract with an $11.3 million average per year.
2) Kenny Moore II of the Indianapolis Colts would be a huge upgrade for the team as a slot cornerback. The 28-year-old made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and had three interceptions in 2023, two of which went for touchdowns. He added 1.5 sacks on 19 blitzes and had a missed tackle percentage of 5.1%. For comparison, Sullivan blitzed 34 times and had no sacks while posting a missed tackle percentage of 15.4%.
3) Chidobe Awuzie is a guy that the Steelers have gotten to know well over the last three seasons as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. The 28-year-old has been the number-one cornerback for the Bengals since he signed there as a free agent. Awuzie was having a banner year in 2022 before suffering an ACL injury that forced him to miss the rest of the season and the playoffs. He wasn't as stingy in 2023, but was still a valuable piece for the Bengals. As he's getting older and has some tough injuries in his past, he could be another reclamation type with an upside to pair with Porter.
Do you think the Steelers should be looking at free agency to bolster their cornerback room? Who are your favorite free agents at the position Pittsburgh should target? Comment below!
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