Do Steelers Want One other Possibility At Nickel Cornerback?

Do the Steelers need another option to man the nickel cornerback position?

One of the recent topics in Steelers circles has been the nickel cornerback position and whether they need more help. Right now, second-year Beanie Bishop Jr. appears to be in the driver’s seat, with veteran Brandin Echols lurking behind him. Beyond rookie seventh-round pick Donte Kent, though, that is pretty much it.

Last year, the Steelers opened the season with Bishop as their nickel cornerback, but they demoted him later on. It’s worth noting he likely wasn’t their first choice though, as evidenced by how events unfolded. Presumably, they would have started Cameron Sutton from the beginning if he didn’t have an eight-game suspension to serve. Then perhaps they would have demoted Sutton and let Bishop play instead.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But the question remains, do the Steelers enter training camp with enough ammunition at nickel cornerback? Are Beanie Bishop, Brandin Echols and Donte Kent enough to get by for a season? How do they compare to previous options, like Arthur Maulet and Chandon Sullivan?

The Steelers are still chasing the ideal nickel cornerback model they unearthed in Mike Hilton. Hilton himself is still available, but he is also an older, slower version of himself. That’s why he is available. It wouldn’t cost Pittsburgh much to kick the tires on him, but presumably, they would have done so by now.

Pittsburgh ranked 25th in passing yards allowed last season and 18th in net yards per attempt. Clearly, the Steelers need to do a better job in coverage, and that includes the nickel cornerback role. At times, Beanie Bishop was part of the issue, but he is a year older and more experienced — but not taller.

When it comes to the nickel, Bishop is the only cornerback we’ve really heard about so far. How much are they looking at Echols, anyway, and how has he fared? Would they seriously even consider putting Donte Kent on the field on defense this year?

It’s common practice for teams to add a veteran or two in the run-up to the start of training camp. For the Steelers, wide receiver and nickel cornerback are the two most obvious potential options. Another position to consider is tackle, where they could use depth. But more cornerbacks can’t hurt — even another guy on the outside. We’re one or two snaps away from James Pierre playing right now.

The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.

Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete.

But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. At least we can finally put the Aaron Rodgers situation to bed and move on to other things. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.