How Far Can Peterson And Porter Jr. Elevate the Steelers’ Secondary?
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee via USA TODAY Sports
It hasn’t been easy to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary as of late. In 2022, Pro Football Focus ranked the unit 28th in the NFL and hasn’t graded it in the top half of the league since 2020, when it gave up just 5.9 passing yards per attempt — the third-best mark in the league that season.
But for every member of Steeler Nation who holds their breath and peeks through their fingers when the opposing quarterback throws past the slot, the off-season may have brought good news. The additions of Patrick Peterson and Joey Porter Jr. have the Steelers primed to potentially have the best secondary in the AFC North in 2023.
Tomlin’s bunch already boasted one of the best secondary playmakers in the league in safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, but the lack of cornerback help proved to be a serious concern after the team gave up about seven passing yards per attempt last year.
Pittsburgh released Akhello Witherspoon, while Cameron Sutton and Terrell Edmunds both signed free-agent deals elsewhere.
Even though the secondary graded poorly as a whole last season, there were bright spots. Damontae Kazee and Levi Wallace both improved and showcased their playmaking ability in flashes. And let’s not forget that the defense did lead the league in interceptions with 20.
Peterson joined the Steelers off a bounce-back season with the Minnesota Vikings last year, signing a two-year, $14 million contract in March. He graded out at 77.8, according to PFF, and finished with five interceptions last season, his most in a season since 2012.
Peterson has mostly played as an outside corner during his career, but there’s a possibility the Steelers could use him in a multitude of ways, such as playing him in the slot, where he has taken some reps during OTAs, or letting him roam the secondary as a playmaker, similar to what Fitzpatrick does as safety.
He provides a much-needed veteran presence to complement Fitzpatrick and is the perfect candidate to mentor the second-round draft pick out of Penn State, Porter Jr., and seventh-round pick, cornerback Cory Trice out of Purdue. Peterson’s presence also helps take some of the weight off Fitzpatrick’s shoulders as a playmaker.
Porter Jr., the son of former Steelers star and assistant coach Joey Porter, seemed destined for Pittsburgh given his father’s history, his local upbringing, and the fact that he played at North Allegheny. Porter Jr. was taken with the 32nd-overall pick by the Steelers and was rated the fourth-best cornerback in the recent draft class by PFF, while also being No. 21 on their big board. At 6’2” and almost 200 lbs., he has the height, speed, and size to cover a variety of different receivers. In 10 games last season at Penn State, he gave up just 143 passing yards.
At cornerback, the Steelers now have a star in Peterson, two talented rookies in Porter Jr. and Trice, and a seasoned veteran in Wallace — an ideal mixture and balance of talent, youth, and experience.
While the Steelers got better with Peterson and Porter, two of the other AFC North teams got worse.
The Bengals lost their two starting safeties in Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III, who each signed free-agent deals elsewhere, while the Ravens lost corners Kyle Fuller and Marcus Peters.
Meanwhile, a Browns unit that looked stacked on paper heading into last season, failed to live up to those lofty expectations in 2022.
In the Steelers’ 3-4 base set, Peterson and Porter Jr. look poised to start at corner, with Fitzpatrick starting at free safety and Kazee starting at strong safety.
Plus, with the increased emphasis on the passing game in today’s NFL, the nickel and dime sets are all the more common. In those formations, Wallace will see plenty of snaps as the No. 3 corner, while Trice and third-year safety Tre Norwood will also see plenty of time on the field as well.
It’s clear that this Steelers defense will continue to be ballhawks again this season, especially with Fitzpatrick still leading the way. But the improvements at corner will almost certainly help the Steelers defense limit big pass plays and get off the field more on third downs — something the unit struggled with last year. As a result, with the secondary improvements, look for a stout Steelers defense in 2023, one where the secondary is doing its fair share.
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