The NFL’s new league year technically began on March 12, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a very productive first day at cornerback, seemingly eliminating their veteran need at the position.
First, FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported a new signing right around 4 p.m. (EST).
“Sources: The Steelers are signing former [New York] Jets CB Brandin Echols, per sources,” Schultz relayed, adding: “Echols had 5 INTs, 16 PBUs and two pick-sixes during his tenure in New York.”
Then, within an hour of that news, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed the Darius Slay acquisition — which was rumored on March 10.
“Another Pittsburgh pickup: Free-agent CB Darius Slay reached agreement on a one-year, fully-guaranteed $10 million deal with the Steelers,” Schefter noted. “Deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey.”
Steelers Double Dip at Cornerback in NFL Free Agency With Under-the-Radar Signing
After losing Donte Jackson to the Los Angeles Chargers — and showing very little interest in re-signing Cameron Sutton, if any — the Steelers acted quickly to find two replacements.
Slay is the big name and expected starter opposite Joey Porter Jr., but Echols (age 27) is an under-the-radar pickup in his own right.
A former sixth-round selection, Echols served as quality depth within the Jets secondary under former head coach Robert Saleh. He’s a feisty, physical cornerback that’s not afraid to tackle and press wide receivers at the line of scrimmage.
During the Jets’ best seasons under Saleh, their cornerback room was highly regarded as one of the more promising units in all of football. Echols was the lesser-known CB4 of that group, behind Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed Jr. and Michael Carter II.
According to Pro Football Focus, Echols primarily lined up on the perimeter during his time in New York, but he’s also taken a minor number of snaps manning the slot, inside the box or up on the edge of the defensive line as a blitzer, giving Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin some intriguing versatility to work with in 2025.
Darius Slay & Brandin Echols Round out Steelers’ Secondary
With starting safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott under contract and Porter returning alongside youngsters Beanie Bishop Jr. and Cory Trice Jr., there weren’t too many needs in the secondary.
Slay — fresh off a Super Bowl victory this winter — brings a wealth of experience to the starting five with 12 seasons of reliable pass coverage under his belt.
Per PFF, Slay’s game didn’t really decline much in 2024 either, earning a 75.5 in coverage and a 70.7 as a tackler. The veteran held opposing quarterbacks to a solid 82.2 passer rating last year, allowing just 51.7% of targets to be caught.
Those are impressive statistics for any NFL cornerback, but they’re elite ones for a 34-year-old.
Assuming Porter and Slay are healthy and productive on the outside, Trice and Echols will likely compete for the honor of first man up behind them, with Bishop at nickelback.
That’s a deep CB room, and there’s still room for one more draft pick, potentially, if a prospect Pittsburgh sees as a good fit falls to a lower round. The positive here is that the Steelers no longer need another cornerback heading into draft night, and that frees them up to focus on other areas of the roster — like defensive line, running back and quarterback.
