Veteran CB Josiah Scott Improving His Timing to Try to Win Steelers Slot Corner Role

The Pittsburgh Steelers still have a few question marks as they are about to enter training camp next week. One of those holes is the starting slot cornerback position and one of the guys vying for the role is Josiah Scott.

Scott spent about a month on the Steelers practice squad in 2023 but was signed back to the Philadelphia Eagles active roster, a place he spent three seasons at. His best season as a pro came in 2022 when he started four games and logged two interceptions and eight defended passes.

Now cemented in Pittsburgh, Scott is looking to impress the coaches enough to win the starting slot role for Week 1 in Atlanta. He will need to beat out other slot-specific corners that are on the roster such as Thomas Graham and Beanie Bishop Jr.

“I was drafted as a slot in Jacksonville initially,” Scott said. “My role in the NFL has always been a slot. You know, I’ve flexed to other positions like safety, I’ve played dime for the Eagles. So, I’ve worn many hats, but the nickel is the most comfortable position that I’ve played since I came into the league.”

To play nickelback in the Steelers defense, one must be ready to cover and to play downhill on the blitz and run defense. Scott struggled at times in coverage but has showed that he can play the run at a high level.

The way that the Steelers have split up the slot cornerback position since Mike Hilton’s departure is into separate run and pass-down nickel roles. Due to this, Scott can carve out a role specific to him but first, it will come down to adjusting to the new ask of blitzing off the edge.

“To me, it’s honestly the same in some ways,” Scott said. “You know, the timing is a big part of it. You can look at a quarterback’s cadence, pick up on tendencies, and find the game clock. The pass rush is new to me, but there are tricks you can use to make that a strength.”

While the role will likely be an open competition until after the preseason wraps up, Scott is just trying to take it day-by-day.

“I’m approaching it like any other year,” Scott said. “This is a one-day-at-a-time thing. You can’t think about it too much. I’m learning something new daily, and I hope I’m showing what I can do.”

Scott, Graham and Bishop all have a fair chance to win the role and it should not be unexpected if two of them are on the final 53-man roster. Regardless, the three of them, among others will battle for a chance to be the starter in-place of the suspended Cam Sutton.

42 • Josiah Scott, Cornerback, Michigan State
5-foot-9, 185 pounds, 25 years old, 5th Season

Acquired: The Steelers signed Josiah Scott to a reserve/futures contract on Jan. 23, 2024.

Last season: After a miniature breakout in 2022, Josiah Scott went back into a reserve role for the Eagles in 2023. After not making the Eagles out of camp last year, he signed with the Steelers practice squad but he was signed back to the Eagles active roster a month later. He appeared in just four games and logged just two tackles.

The Eagles did not offer Scott a reserve/future contract following the season.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Josiah Scott (33) celebrates his interception against the New Orleans Saints during an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Career: The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Josiah Scott in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft after trading cornerback A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos for the draft pick. As a rookie, Scott appeared in six games for the Jaguars and totaled 11 tackles.

In his first full offseason, the Jaguars traded Scott to the Philadelphia Eagles. Scott appeared in 13 games for the Eagles in 2021 and recorded 12 tackles. In 2022, Scott received his first start and went on to start four of his 16 appearances for the Eagles. He recorded a career-high 26 tackles, two interceptions and eight defended passes.

Over his first four seasons in the league, Scott has played in 39 games and started four games. He has amassed 42 combined tackles, two interceptions and eight defended passes.

College: Josiah Scott, an Ohio native, was one of the top ranked cornerbacks coming out of high school. He chose to commit to Michigan State and he earned immediate playing time. As a true freshman, Scott played in 12 games and tallied 30 tackles, two interceptions, 12 defended passes and one forced fumble.

Scott earned third-team All-Big Ten honors by the media and honorable mention All-Big Ten by the league’s coaches in 2017.

In 2018, Scott missed the first eight games on the season due to a preseason knee injury. He appeared in the final five games of the season and logged 13 total tackles, two interceptions and nine defended passes.

As a junior, Scott played in and started all 13 games of the season for the Spartans. He logged a career-high 55 tackles and three interceptions. He added 11 defended passes and one forced fumble.

Over his three years in green, Scott played in 30 games and logged 98 tackles, seven interceptions, 32 defended passes and two forced fumbles.

Salary cap and future: Josiah Scott is signed with the Steelers through the end of the 2024 season. If he makes the Steelers final roster, Scott will cost $985,000 against the cap but will earn $1.125 million due to him being a veteran.