New Steelers DBs figuring out their own depth chart while challenging revamped WRs

When it came to evaluating the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary heading into training camp, here is what was known:

• Minkah Fitzpatrick is a three-time All-Pro at one safety spot. They are fine there.

• Damontae Kazee is back. When he’s not hurt or suspended, he’s a capable veteran at the other safety spot, or at least as a third guy at the position.

• Second-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr. certainly proved he was worth the No. 32 overall pick in last year’s draft.

That’s about it. Everything else was up for grabs.

After the first week of practices, though, it’s evident that most of the “Plan A” guys to fill the other spots are working out well.

Donte Jackson, acquired in a trade from Carolina for wide receiver Dionate Johnson, has done nothing to dissuade the coaches or front office from thinking he should be the other starting corner opposite Porter. He has the only interception of training camp so far in team drills, has broken up at least three or four passes in four days of activities, and has frequently run stride for stride with wide receiver George Pickens.

DeShon Elliott, signed in free agency from the Baltimore Ravens, has been very active at safety, disrupting numerous plays along the line of scrimmage and handling middle-of-the-field coverage duties as needed at the “non-Minkah” safety spot or when deployed in the slot (where he played 113 snaps last year).

Undrafted free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. has stood up to numerous tests in the slot as a nickelback, getting (by his own admission) more reps with the first teamers than he expected.

Bishop isn’t afraid of handling that workload.

“I know I can run with all of the guys in the league,” Bishop said last week. “It’s about winning at the line and playing to my leverage and playing to my help. … They were in search of a nickel, and I felt like I could fill the role with my tackling abilities and being able to cover as well.”

With the Steelers expecting to play more nickel this year, the ability to bounce between Elliott and Bishop in the slot (based on the size and speed of the opposing offensive deployment) could be a huge asset, especially since recently reacquired veteran Cameron Sutton is suspended until the ninth game of the year.

“I got a little bit of a taste of it at OTAs, but I’m grasping it more when it comes to training camp,” Elliott said of playing multiple positions. “It’s coming a lot easier to me. We’ll see what they want to do with me.”

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Other new additions such as Grayland Arnold, Kalon Barnes, Anthony Averett and Ryan Watts could help as well. So too could special teams ace Miles Killebrew and returning corners Cory Trice and Darius Rush.

But it’s not just about figuring out the configuration of the secondary in training camp. It’s about the secondary doing what it can to test the revamped receiving core to see who is worthy of earning playing time, opposite of Pickens on the offensive side of the ball.

“Iron sharpens iron,” Jackson said Wednesday, quickly picking up on a favorite Mike Tomlin refrain. “Everybody is hungry. Everybody is looking to work. That’s going to be the mission for the secondary. Come out here, put the work in and sharpen each other. Get ready for a long season. That’s been the message.”

The secondary has gotten the better of the battles thus far without Russell Wilson as the quarterback. However, the offense started to make strides with Justin Fields behind center on Sunday, winning six of seven snaps in the “Seven Shots” goal line sequences and hitting the most big plays to date in team passing drills and seven-on-seven snaps.

“These guys are very competitive,” Jackson said of the receivers. “It’s going to be great battles on both sides. Great competition on both sides. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Jackson’s ability to run with Pickens often during camp has also allowed coaches to get a look at other receivers trying to beat Porter, who took on the task of guarding the opposing team’s best receiver frequently during his rookie season.

“We’ve got a lot of new faces from last year to this year,” Porter said of both the secondary and receivers. “We’ve got some new pieces. It’s always good to solve them and see where we are going to put them. I’m just excited with the new players we’ve got that came here ready to work. Let’s do it.”

With the emergence of Elliott and Bishop in the slot, and the quick validation of Jackson’s addition it feels like the reconfigured secondary is becoming clear more quickly than the receiving core. It’s not surprising to see a defensive unit ahead of its offensive counterpart, particularly this early in training camp.

That said, if Steelers general manager Omar Khan is willing to pull the trigger on a big trade for another receiver in the near future, I’m sure everyone involved would be happy to reevaluate before the season opener in Atlanta on Sept. 8.

Listen: Tim Benz recaps Week 1 of Steelers training camp with thoughts on Russell Wilson’s sled-pushing injury, Justin Fields, the new WRs so far, reconfigured DBs, and some emerging young players in the Front 7.