Steelers Scenario Series, Part 9: Best and Worst Cases for the Cornerbacks

The 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers roster is an intriguing mix of fresh talent and seasoned veterans on both sides of the ball, and each position group will have it’s own challenges to develop into an efficient, productive squad like the Front Office and Coaching Staff envision them to be. The Steelers don’t do hard resets and they never plan to be bad, and that philosophy brings with it the expectation for each group to provide winning level play every year.

With recent Draft picks looking to find their footing, new Free Agent and Trade acquisitions getting acclimated, and familiar faces returning for another year, there’s a lot of variables that play into fielding a winning roster. In this series, we’ll identify a “lynchpin” player (player who’s success or failure will most heavily impact the group) and a rising star for each position, as well as determine the best- and worst-case scenarios for the 2025 season based on the current roster.

Up next: Cornerbacks

Click HERE for previous articles in series, including:

Offensive Line
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Defensive Line
Edge Rushers
Linebackers

ON THE ROSTER

Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, Cory Trice, Brandon Echols, Beanie Bishop Jr., James Pierre, Donte Kent (R), D’Shawn Jamison, Cameron McCutcheon, Kyler McMichael

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Lynchpin Player: Jalen Ramsey
Rising Star: Joey Porter Jr.

BEST CASE SCENARIO

Porter Jr. blossoms into a top-tier lockdown corner in Year 3, matching up with WR1s and drastically shrinking throwing windows. His presence allows the staff to lean more into man coverage concepts, with Slay and Ramsey executing matchup-specific roles—Ramsey particularly excelling in nickel and hybrid safety looks, and Slay stabilizing the boundary with smart positioning and veteran savvy. Ramsey’s presence in particular allows the Steelers to press receivers across the board, creating more time for the ferocious pass rush to get home. Cory Trice finally stays healthy and proves the coaching staff right, emerging as a playmaking backup outside corner who complements Porter’s style well. Depth proves strong and versatile: Echols and Bishop rotate in with confidence and Rookie Donte Kent shows flashes that foreshadow a long-term contributor. Pierre, Jamison, McCutcheon, and McMichael compete hard for roles in sub-packages and special teams, creating real competition and forcing the entire group to stay sharp. When it clicks, this unit can be elite—more matchup-proof than any secondary the Steelers have had in the last decade.

WORST CASE SCENARIO

Porter Jr. continues to be a bit too grabby at the top of routes, leading to costly flags and inconsistent performances. Ramsey and Slay show their age in spurts, struggling to stay on the field or keep pace with younger, twitchier receivers. Trice can’t stay healthy, and depth starts to feel shallow real fast. Echols and Bishop are shaky in coverage, Pierre can’t consistently track the ball in-phase, and the rest of the back-end roster proves more practice-squad than contributor when pushed into service. The secondary starts playing on its heels, relying too much on safety help and soft zones that get picked apart by precision passing attacks. Blitz packages dry up, big plays downfield increase, and the coverage unit loses its bite—turning a roster full of recognizable names into a liability.