Steelers' cornerback position as complete as any

The Steelers' cornerbacks are elite.

There was a time when suggesting such a thing in the written word, or even in talking with fans, would get a very strange response. Everything from laughter to hysteria.

But it's true.

The one position that has constantly been criticized since Chuck Noll retired has been the Steelers' secondary. Whether it was warranted or not is another discussion, but fans bring up names of failed projects to point out the team's inability to both draft and procure the position.

Names like Senquez Golson, Antwon Blake, Cortez Allen, B.W. Webb and Ross Cockrell come to mind, and that is just in the Mike Tomlin era. All had an opportunity, but none were considered dominant or elite.

Prepare yourself for what I'm about to write: The Steelers cornerbacks entering 2020 are elite.

When you look at the 2019 statistics and realize the core of this position group is returning, you see how the tables have turned when it comes to how they are viewed.

The defense surrendered an average of 194.6 yards per game through the air, third in the NFL. The cornerbacks contributed eight interceptions, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 41 pass defenses. Some might view those stats as mundane or average, but the difficulty of noticing the dominance of a secondary is when they, as a group and individually, aren't talked about.

Last season, Steven Nelson had a tremendous year, but his stats look very average. Why? The opposition rarely threw in his direction, choosing to attack Joe Haden's side of the field instead. In the secondary, doing your job sometimes means not getting the recognition you rightfully deserve.

Last year was a good one for the cornerbacks, but will that trend continue, or improve, in 2020? Let's take a look at the depth chart.

DEPTH CHART
Breon Borders
Joe Haden
Mike Hilton
Justin Layne
Alexander Myres
Steven Nelson
Cam Sutton

How is this position group as complete as any on the team? They have quality depth. Haden and Nelson have become household names, and Hilton has carved out a role on the team as a slot cornerback. But don't sleep on a player like Sutton. His ability to be the dime cornerback, something he did last season, as well as flex outside, or even to safety, is a valuable commodity to have on your roster. With both players in the final year of their current contracts it is safe to say the team will have a tough decision to make after the upcoming season.

One of the unknowns of this group would be those players no one knows much about -- Borders and Myres -- as well as the maturation of Layne. As a rookie, Layne saw zero defensive snaps, but proved worthy of a roster spot on game days because of his special teams play. When Artie Burns was injured, it was Layne who took his role as the gunner on special teams and never gave it up, even when Burns returned to health.

Unlike other positions, I don't foresee too many battles at the cornerback position heading into training camp. The top cornerback spots are already taken.

CB1 - Haden
CB2 - Nelson
CB3/Nickel - Hilton
CB4/Dime - Sutton

The real challenge will be seeing if Layne will be just a special teams player, or someone who can provide quality depth for the team on the outside. Otherwise, I predict the Steelers keep five cornerbacks on the roster, and it seems pretty clear who those players will be.

Believe it or not, but the cornerback depth chart is one of the strongest on the Steelers' 2020 roster.

Check out the other depth chart breakdowns, by position:
Quarterbacks