The majority of the work done by Omar Khan during the offseason revamped the inside linebacker position and the interior of the offensive line. However, his work to strengthen the secondary shouldn't go unnoticed. All things considered, this could still be a formidable group.
Welcome to the seventh edition of our 2023 Steelers positional preview, in which we will break down and preview each position on the roster to get you ready for that wonderful first training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
Throughout this series, we'll take a look back at how each position fared in 2022, how that position was addressed in the offseason and wrap up with how it looks heading into 2023. Of course, the roster can still go through some changes between now and when the roster is cut down to 53 players. But, this will help give you a better understanding of how the team is shaping up heading into the season and how realistic it is for them to get back to a playoff chase or maybe even a division title.
With players reporting to Saint Vincent College for training camp on Wednesday, we are wrapping up this positional preview series quickly. Today's breakdown finishes off the defense with a closer look at the secondary.
2022 IN REVIEW
Everything in the Steelers' secondary begins and ends with Minkah Fitzpatrick, and that couldn't have been more clear to start the 2022 season. While the defense was dominant as a whole in the 23-20 upset victory over the Bengals in the season opener, Fitzpatrick's performance stood out above everyone else's. Not only did he pick off Joe Burrow's first pass of the game and run it back for a touchdown...
...he blocked a would-be go-ahead extra point in the waning seconds of regulation to force overtime.
When talking about impact players, Fitzpatrick is right up there among the best in the league, especially when he's on his game.
Ever since the Steelers traded a first-round pick for Fitzpatrick, he's been the heart and soul of the secondary. And in 2022, he was able to get back to doing more Minkah-esque things after spending so much time focusing on run support during the 2021 season. And, he turned in perhaps the best season of his career. He tied for the league lead with six interceptions, matched his career-high of 11 passes defended and still managed to rack up 96 tackles, which was second to only Myles Jack on the team. Fitzpatrick's performance earned him Al-Pro honors for the third time in his career.
The analytics people at Pro Football Focus loved Fitzpatrick's work as well, grading him as the third-best safety in the NFL. However, Fitzpatrick's 82.4 grade might carry more weight since he played considerably more snaps than Kyle Hamilton and Kamren Curl, the two safeties graded higher than him, respectively.
Fitzpatrick's performance most definitely set the tone for the rest of the secondary, and even lifted the entire defense while T.J. Watt missed significant time due to a pectoral injury and minor knee procedure. In turn, Fitzpatrick's teammates voted him the Steelers' Most Valuable Player in 2022, joining Glenn Edwards (1974), Donnie Shell (1980) and Troy Polamalu (2010) as the only safeties to win the award.
Fitzpatrick had two partners at safety in 2022: Terrell Edmunds, who re-joined the Steelers on a one-year contract after testing the free-agent market, and Damontae Kazee, who was a late addition in free agency. Edmunds continued to be a steadying force next to Fitzpatrick while Kazee missed the first eight games of the season due to a five-game suspension and a wrist fracture suffered in the preseason finale.
But, after Kazee returned, the Steelers were able to deploy the three-safety package that was often practiced during training camp and the preseason. And, following in Fitzpatrick's footsteps, Kazee made an immediate impact once he finally joined the team on the field:
Cam Sutton continued to grow into a fine cornerback during the 2022 season, and became the most consistent guy at that position on the roster. His three interceptions were a nice contribution, but his ability to seamlessly transition between lining up outside and in the slot made him a very valuable asset in Teryl Austin's defense.
Levi Wallace was another player the Steelers added in free agency to help add to the cornerback position. He was a strong contributor in run defense and, despite being inconsistent in coverage, turned in four interceptions, which finished second on the team behind Fitzpatrick. At the end of the day, having a nose for the ball and being able to tackle are two traits the Steelers love to have in their cornerbacks, and Wallace fit well in that mold.
Sutton's time spent playing on the outside was initially supposed to be limited, but Ahkello Witherspoon suffered a hamstring injury in the Week 3 loss to the Browns, and was never the same for the remainder of the season. It was essentially a lost year for Witherspoon, which is a shame after showing some promise with three interceptions in nine games the year before.
All in all, the secondary contributed 18 of the team's 20 interceptions, which tied with the 49ers for the most in the league. Even if both of Watt's interceptions were taken away, 18 picks still would have been the third-most in the NFL. That's the good part of the Steelers' 2022 secondary.
The not-so-good part was the overall pass defense still ranked 19th in the NFL. A big reason why was their inconsistency in limiting the big play. Opposing quarterbacks averaged 7.5 yards per passing attempt, which was the fourth-highest in the NFL. They were also very mediocre on third down, finishing 18th in the NFL with a 39.4 conversion percentage against. They also weren't nearly efficient enough in the red zone, finishing 17th in the league with a 55.3 percentage against.
THE OFFSEASON
The primary goal heading into the offseason was to upgrade the cornerback position, and there seemed to be an easy path to accomplishing that goal on paper. Sutton was set to hit free agency, but the Steelers had plenty of cap room to keep him, even if they overpaid a bit. In addition, cornerback was arguably the strongest and deepest position in the 2023 draft class, meaning the Steelers were going to have quality options with any of their three picks in the first two rounds.
Far and away, the highest priority was re-signing Sutton. It's difficult to upgrade the secondary if the best cornerback on the roster opts to go elsewhere. However, Sutton wound up agreeing to a three-year, $33-million contract with the Lions just hours into free agency. That was obviously a price the Steelers weren't willing to match and opted to go in another direction.
Just a couple hours after news broke of Sutton's departure, the Steelers agreed to terms with future Hall of Fame cornerback Patrick Peterson. That certainly softened the blow of losing Sutton. And, despite knowing that Peterson would turn 33 years old prior to the start of the season, he was coming off a strong performance with five interceptions and 15 passes defended with the Vikings in 2022.
The Steelers also kept some of their depth at cornerback by bringing back James Pierre after non-tendering him and letting him test free-agent waters.
At safety, the Steelers brought Kazee back early in free agency. Mike Tomlin had high praise for Kazee's "ball production," and it's clear he provided a different spark in the middle of the field once he joined the team in the middle of the 2022 season. However, a reunion with Edmunds didn't come to fruition as he signed with Philadelphia. The Steelers signed Keanu Neal, primarily a box safety, in free agency to fill Edmunds' role.
The majority of the moves in free agency focused on replacing players that left. That set the stage for the draft to be the area where the Steelers upgraded the secondary, particularly at cornerback.
After every team passed on him in the first round, the Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr. with the 32nd overall pick in the draft. Porter, the son of former Steelers' outside linebacker Joey Porter, was considered by most to be one of the best cornerbacks in the class. Considering his lineage, college pedigree and where he was selected in the draft, this was a very popular pick among fans.
The Steelers weren't done adding to the secondary in the draft. They used one of their seventh-round picks on Cory Trice Jr., a cornerback out of Purdue that was projected to go in the middle rounds of the draft. However, his draft stock plummeted due to some concerns about prior health issues, including a high school ankle injury and a torn ACL in 2021.
During the draft, the Steelers also signed slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan, who was teammates with Peterson in Minnesota. That paved the way for the Steelers to release Arthur Maulet, who had peaked in his slot cornerback role and wanted an opportunity elsewhere when the relationship soured between Maulet and the team.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2023
All expectations have to begin with Fitzpatrick. As long as he's patrolling the middle of the field, the Steelers have an elite ball hawk that opposing quarterbacks have to watch for on every single play. And, at 26 years old, there's no anticipation his play will deteriorate any time soon. Pittsburgh should have at least another four years of elite play from Fitzpatrick.
With Neal now complementing Fitzpatrick and Kazee, there should be some similarities with the three-safety package. With 14 career interceptions, Kazee is a bit of a ball hawk in his own right, and Neal is best suited as a box safety -- someone who can bridge the gap between the second and third levels of the defense.
But, one thing that should be anticipated is for Kazee and Neal to be moving around quite a bit.
"Strong and free (safety) are kind of misnomers these days," Tomlin said at the owners' meetings. "Most guys play right and left, and those that don't are somewhat interchangeable based on schematics or calls. I just think that's what we are. Minkah patrols the middle of the field as a home base. We work off of that."
At cornerback, Peterson will be the No. 1 guy, much like Sutton was a season ago. And, despite playing the vast majority of his career on the outside (88% of his career snaps), Peterson will be logging snaps in the slot.
However, the biggest concern regarding Peterson isn't his usage on the outside or in the slot. Rather, it's his age. It's no secret that players at skill positions get slower as they age, and receivers have never been collectively faster.
But, what Peterson doesn't have in speed anymore, he can possibly make up for with a strong football IQ and a wealth of experience. Peterson is a future Hall of Famer for a reason. He's smart and knows how to anticipate certain throws, regardless of what coverage he's in.
Here's a good example:
Watch how Peterson almost baits the quarterback by sinking his hips and leaving a gap between him and the safety over the top. The quarterback then tries to fit the ball in that gap, but Peterson closes it very quickly and breaks up the pass with a very athletic play.
I anticipate a position battle between Wallace and Porter for who gets the majority of the snaps as the other primary outside cornerback. Wallace obviously has an upper hand in experience, and he's also coming off four picks last season. The Steelers love guys who can take the ball away.
However, despite having only one career interception at Penn State, the Steelers believe Porter has the traits that can translate to ball production in the NFL. Porter is a physical press cornerback, but his length is what makes him potentially dangerous. It allows him to reach passes that other defenders can't reach, and also allows him to even make up for lost ground if he's ever beaten:
Regardless, the Steelers should fare better at cornerback this season. A trio of Peterson, Porter and Wallace is an upgrade over what they had a season ago. In addition, Sullivan gives the Steelers a proper slot corner for run-heavy downs and Pierre is a quality fourth or fifth option down the depth chart. PFF loved what Pierre did in a limited role last season, giving him a 69.9 grade. That would have ranked 33rd among 119 cornerbacks if he had maintained that performance over enough snaps to qualify.
Trice is a bit of a wild card, and perhaps even a bit of a sleeper. Same as Porter, he's got a chip on his shoulder for falling so far in the draft. And, same as Porter, he's a physical press corner that can disrupt receivers. If his previous injuries don't impact his performance in the NFL, the Steelers could have gotten a steal in the seventh round.
All in all, this is a better group on paper than it was a season ago. That's saying something for a group that was the key reason for a league-leading 20 interceptions. And, with a healthy Watt back in the fold, the secondary should only benefit from a more productive pass rush.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
Cornerback:
• Patrick Peterson
• Joey Porter Jr.
• Levi Wallace
• Chandon Sullivan
• James Pierre
• Cory Trice Jr.
Safety:
• Minkah Fitzpatrick
• Damontae Kazee
• Keanu Neal
• Tre Norwood
• Miles Killebrew
2023 STEELERS POSITIONAL PREVIEW SERIES
Previously...
• Quarterback
• Running Back
• Wide Receiver/Tight End
• Offensive Line
• Defensive Line/Edge Rusher
• Inside Linebacker
Still to come...
• Special Teams (July 26)
