Patrick Smith/Getty Images Donovan Peoples-Jones of the Cleveland Browns misses a pass defended by Chris Westry of the Baltimore Ravens on November 28, 2021.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a little short at the cornerback position, with early-season starter Ahkello Witherspoon still bothered by a hamstring injury that has limited him to four games this season, and the recently-acquired William Jackson III now on injured reserve with a back injury.
To that end, the Steelers worked out three cornerbacks on Tuesday Nov. 15, all of whom have started at least one game in the NFL.
Chris Westry Played for the Ravens in 2021
The first of three is ex-Baltimore Ravens cornerback Chris Westry, 25, a former undrafted free agent out of Kentucky who originally came into the league in 2019 with the Dallas Cowboys.
Westry, who is 6-foot-4, appeared in two games for the Cowboys in 2020 before joining the Ravens in 2021. He made Baltimore’s 53-man roster out of training camp but suffered a knee injury in the season opener, an injury that limited him to six games (with two starts).
All told, he has been credited with 18 solo tackles and three passes defensed. This past spring he signed with the Carolina Panthers but was waived during training camp.
Tim Harris is a Former 6th-round pick
Next up there’s Tim Harris, 27, who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 6th-round of the 2019 draft (No. 198 overall) out of the University of Virginia. He spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a groin injury but appeared in two games in 2020 before the 49ers waived him in the summer of 2021. Harris — who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds — spent time with Buffalo and Cleveland last season, and played in one game for the Browns.
Jace Whittaker Spent 3 Years With the Cardinals
The last of the three is former Cardinals cornerback Jace Whittaker, 27, who has spent large portions of the past three seasons on Arizona’s practice squad. Whittaker — 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds — has appeared in a total of nine games with the Cardinals, including one start earlier this season.
All told he has been credited with 14 tackles (11 solo), with one pass defensed and one quarterback hit, as per Pro Football Reference.
The Cardinals waived him on Nov. 9 and he worked out for the Houston Texans just prior to his visit to Pittsburgh, as noted by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.
Pittsburgh #Steelers worked out former Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jace Whittaker today, according to a league source, one day after he worked out for the Texans
The Steelers Currently Have 3 CBs on the Practice Squad
If the Steelers elect to sign one of the above-named cornerbacks to the practice squad, he would join a group made up of Duke Dawson, Quincy Wilson and Mark Gilbert. Dawson is a former 2nd-round pick of the Patriots who signed with the Steelers on Oct. 12. Wilson is a former 2nd-round selection of the Colts who joined the Steelers on Sept. 21. Gilbert has been on and off Pittsburgh’s practice squad this season, having originally signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent (Duke) following the 2021 NFL Draft.
Wilson is the only one of the three to appear in a game for the Steelers this year, having played 11 snaps on defense and five on special teams during the team’s Week 6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.