Former Scout Thinks Steelers May Have A Hidden Gem On The Defensive Side Of The Ball

The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to cut their roster down to the 53 guys that the team will be carrying into the regular season. This is a tough time of the year for every team across the NFL as roster cuts mean saying goodbye to some players that may have made some serious strides during training camp and the preseason. The Steelers will bring back some of the guys to the practice squad that are cut and go unclaimed. Those players are usually made up of guys at positions that are important when it comes to depth, including the offensive line, secondary, and wide receiver. This is because each player can be activated up to three times throughout the regular season.

One player who has been making a bit of a name for himself is cornerback Doneiko Slaughter. He has made some splash plays throughout the first two preseason games, and he will look to put together another impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills during the preseason finale on Thursday night. He has played some outside corner as well as the "star" position, which is what Patrick Graham calls the slot cornerback in his defense.

Slaughter probably won't make the final roster. It would be a surprise if he did, but he has shown some nice potential thus far. He looks like he can be a good football player in the NFL based off the way he has looked in the two preseason games, which is something former college and NFL scout Matt Williamson mentioned on Monday's episode of SNR Drive.

"I don't think, one of my favorites, but I don't think there's any room in the cornerback room, but I think Slaughter's got a chance to be a good player," Williamson said. "Can you stash him? Like he shows up. He started this last game."

Williamson has been impressed by Slaughter, which is saying something considering his background as a college and professional scout. Slaughter would have to put forth quite the performance against the Bills to have a chance of making the final roster, but Williamson believes the Steelers will certainly try to stash the defender on the practice squad. This would essentially allow Pittsburgh to use him as a depth piece and activate him up to three times throughout the regular season, which would come in handy with some older pieces in the secondary.

In order to keep Slaughter in Pittsburgh on the practice squad, he would have to clear waivers after being cut. That is tricky, especially since he has been impressive this preseason. Another team could pick him up off waivers, but he would have to be added to that team's active roster immediately. Keeping an athlete like him in Pittsburgh on the practice squad in case of an injury to a player like Brandin Echols or Asante Samuel Jr., would be great for the depth of the secondary.

Steelers' Secondary Depth Has Been Insanely Impressive

There is a lot going on in Pittsburgh's secondary with Jalen Ramsey being out for most of training camp due to injury, and Joey Porter Jr. holding-in as he awaits a new contract, but the depth the front office has brought in has been impressive this offseason. The franchise signed veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins earlier in training camp, and he has looked good in both preseason games so far. The same can be said for rookie cornerback Daylen Everette, and Samuel has taken another step forward after getting back into the swing of things in 2025 after a serious injury during the 2024 season.

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