Steelers Have One Clear Defensive Hole

Despite some general skepticism following their five-game losing streak to end the 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have built a rather complete roster. That being said, though, a few holes remain.

Much has been made about the team's need for another weapon on offense, and rightfully so, but the slot cornerback position is also in a state of flux.

At the moment, Beanie Bishop Jr. would appear to have the inside track at the starting job. An undrafted free agent out of West Virginia last season, he posted 45 tackles and four interceptions while playing in all 17 of the Steelers' regular season games.

He fell out of favor towards the end of the year, however, as Cam Sutton logged more snaps from the slot following Pittsburgh's Week 9 bye.

Sutton is no longer on the team, which should open up more playing time for Bishop, though he'll have to pick up from where he left off early last season and prove himself throughout both training camp and the preseason.

Brandin Echols, who signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Steelers in free agency this offseason, is Bishop's main competitor for the role.

The former New York Jet only took nine snaps from the slot in 2024, per Pro Football Focus, though he saw 112 reps there in 2023 and 43 in 2022. Echols has only started five games over the past three years, however, so it may be hard for Pittsburgh to bestow a ton of responsibilities upon him unless he really impresses over the next few months.

For those reasons, it would behoove the Steelers to bring in a veteran at the position. Mike Hilton is among the top remaining options on the open market, and he would certainly fit the team considering he played for the black and gold from 2016 to 2020 before spending the past four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

He started a combined 23 contests over the last two years while recording three interceptions over 1,295 snaps from the slot, so he clearly has some juice left at 31-years-old.

Whether it's Hilton or another player, Pittsburgh's clearest path towards finalizing its roster is bringing in a veteran slot corner who will compete with Bishop and Echols this summer.