The Pittsburgh Steelers spent the offseason talking about Jalen Ramsey as a movable chess piece in their secondary. Joey Porter Jr.’s exit may force them to move him again.
Pittsburgh traded Porter to the Dallas Cowboys last week, then watched an already-thin cornerback group take another hit when Jamel Dean injured his ankle during a 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
That has left rookie Daylen Everette and Asante Samuel Jr. handling more responsibility outside while Ramsey continues playing through a broken wrist.
Longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly, via Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle, believes Pittsburgh should seriously consider putting Ramsey back at cornerback.
More Steelers on Heavy: Steelers Predicted to Land 6-Foot-2 Joey Porter Jr. Replacement
Steelers Urged to Move Jalen Ramsey Back to Cornerback
Kaboly acknowledged that Ramsey’s wrist complicates the idea, but he believes the veteran remains Pittsburgh’s best option on the outside.
“I would really consider moving Jalen Ramsey to cornerback, but it complicates things with the broken wrist. He’s your best option right now. He’s your best ball player back there. Move him back there, hope DeShon Elliott comes back. If not Robert Spears-Jennings played well enough that you could put him back there with Brisker. I think that’s your best opportunity moving forward because you don’t know what you’re gonna get from Everette and Samuel Jr.. Not just on a week-to-week basis, but a series-to-series basis.”
That would represent another shift for Ramsey.
The Steelers moved him from outside cornerback to safety during the 2025 season, then built their 2026 plan around using him primarily in the slot as their “Star” defender. That role has allowed defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to move Ramsey around, use him in pressure packages and keep him involved closer to the football.
Moving him back outside would take some of that flexibility away.
The alternative, though, is trusting an increasingly unsettled group.
Steelers Secondary Has Changed Quickly Since Joey Porter Jr. Trade
Pittsburgh entered training camp with what appeared to be one of its deepest position groups. That depth disappeared quickly.
Porter is now in Dallas. Dean left the Browns game with an ankle injury and later had his foot in a boot. Ramsey is playing with a cast over a broken wrist. DeShon Elliott remains on injured reserve, although he is eligible to return when healthy.
That has forced younger and less-established players into larger roles.
Everette, a rookie third-round pick, showed promise against the Cincinnati Bengals before having a much tougher night in Cleveland. Samuel has also struggled to provide consistent play outside. Brandin Echols has played only a limited role in the defense this season.
The safety situation could make Kaboly’s idea possible if Elliott returns.
Robert Spears-Jennings saw increased work against Cleveland and gave Pittsburgh something to consider after Rayshawn Jenkins struggled. Pairing Spears-Jennings with Jaquan Brisker, or eventually getting Elliott back into the lineup, could free Ramsey to move outside without leaving the Steelers as exposed at safety.
There are still obvious concerns.
Ramsey turns 32 later in October and didn’t consistently look like the same lockdown boundary corner during his first season in Pittsburgh. Asking him to return to that role while playing through a broken wrist would be far from an ideal solution.
But the Steelers aren’t dealing with an ideal situation anymore.
They traded away the player Ramsey himself called Pittsburgh’s “CB1” during the offseason. Dean is hurt. Everette is still learning, and Samuel hasn’t established himself as a dependable answer.
Pittsburgh wanted Ramsey’s versatility to be a luxury in 2026.
After everything that has happened at cornerback, it may now be a necessity.
Steelers Urged to Make Bold Jalen Ramsey Move Despite Major Concern