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On Tuesday Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin indicated that cornerbacks Cameron Sutton (hamstring), Levi Wallace (concussion) and Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring) are expected to return to practice this week, which augurs well for the team’s pass defense.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are still looking to add cornerback depth, even having signed former Patriots 2nd-round pick Duke Dawson to the practice squad just last week.
To that end, the team has worked out former Carolina Panthers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Troy Pride Jr., this according to the NFL’s daily personnel notice.
Troy Pride Was a 4th-Round Pick of the Panthers in 2020
Troy Pride Jr. entered the NFL in 2020, having been selected No. 113 overall by the Carolina Panthers out of Notre Dame. He appeared in 14 games as a rookie (with eight starts) and was credited with 42 total tackles (27 solo), with one tackle for loss and two passes defensed.
But his career was sidetracked when he suffered a torn ACL during a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at the outset of his sophomore season. Nine months later, the Panthers waived him with a failed physical designation, suggesting he wouldn’t be ready for the 2022 season.
Now, 14 months after the injury, the Steelers have given a look-see to a player who Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network has described as “An athletic cornerback with bigtime potential,” one who is “effective when he sees the action and can track passes in the air.”
That dovetails with what NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein has written about Pride, noting that he has “track speed” (4.4 40-yard dash at the NFL combine) but that “he needs to be paired with a scheme that allows him to play more off-man and zone so he can keep the game in front of him and use his burst to close coming downhill. Pride has pro traits, but he also has NFL-backup tape,” concluded Zierlein, who correctly projected him to be drafted in the third or fourth round and has used fifth-year Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson as his NFL comparison.
The Steelers Currently Have 3 CBs on the Practice Squad
If the Steelers ultimately decide to sign Pride, he could displace one of the three other cornerbacks on the practice squad, namely Mark Gilbert, the aforementioned Duke Dawson or Quincy Wilson, the latter a former 2nd-round pick of the Colts. Gilbert and Dawson have yet to be elevated for a game, while Wilson has appeared in one contest. That said, Wilson can be promoted once more before he would need to be signed to the active roster to make another appearance.
On Tuesday the Steelers also made three roster moves, signing former Bengals wide receiver Josh Malone and former Eagles running back Jason Huntley to the practice squad. At the same time, the team terminated the contract of rookie safety Scott Nelson, who signed with the Steelers on Oct. 4, 2022.
Pro Football Focus Defensive Grades
Finally, it’s worth noting some of the highest and lowest Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades attributed to Steelers defenders this season. Cam Heyward has the team’s highest PFF grade (89.8), with T.J. Watt second at 84.6. Strong safety Terrell Edmunds is the third-highest graded Steelers defender (79.2), followed by outside linebacker Alex Highsmith (77.4) and free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (72.1).
The lowest graded Steelers defender is 35-year-old nose tackle Tyson Alualu (32.0), with safety Tre Norwood at 35.9 and linebacker Ryan Anderson at 40.5. Alualu was demoted in favor of backup Montravius Adams late last month.
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Steelers Work out Ex-Panthers, Notre Dame CB With ‘Bigtime Potential’