Things are going to look different for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, especially in their secondary. Going into a season with questions on the offensive side of the ball, the defense is going to have to be stout for Pittsburgh to have any shot at contending. Analyst Mike Renner thinks its secondary can be solid but doesn’t think the group is among the best in the league.
On the Pushing The Pile podcast on Wednesday, Renner put each team’s secondary into tiers. For the Steelers, he put them in the B tier, below the A and S [superstar] tiers.
“Steelers I put here with the addition of Jalen Ramsey,” Renner said. “Where he ends up, I’m not sure. I think slot [cornerback] makes the most sense, given his career trajectory. He’s played there before, his physical play style where they need it. But he could play safety as well.”
Renner is likely right that slot is the most natural fit for Ramsey right now. During the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl run a few years back, Ramsey spent a ton of time at nickel corner, and he was a first-team All-Pro doing so. With Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay on the outside, it would make sense to play Ramsey in the slot. Although Beanie Bishop Jr. did have an impressive rookie season in that role, it’s hard to argue against giving Ramsey the advantage there.
However, the makeup of the Steelers’ secondary might make that more complicated. After losing Minkah Fitzpatrick in the Ramsey trade that also netted TE Jonnu Smith, the safety position did get weaker. Juan Thornhill and DeShon Elliott form a nice duo, but Thornhill had his own issues with the Cleveland Browns last year. Given Ramsey’s age, many think he could make the move to safety, with his physical play style being a good attribute for the position.
Some of those questions might be the reason Pittsburgh isn’t in a higher tier for Renner. Despite that, he does think the cornerback group is “good enough” to win with.
“Joey Porter Jr. going into Year 3, Darius Slay coming over. I think this cornerback group, you can at least win with it. It might not be A-tier or S-tier, but it’s good enough,” Renner said.
If Ramsey does play cornerback, which some think is likely, it’s hard not to be excited about this group.
The Steelers have no real questions at cornerback. If everything goes right, they could have the best cornerback room in the NFL this season. There may be some more questions at safety, especially relative to Ramsey. However, there’s enough talent in the Steelers’ secondary that the floor is pretty high. If this group, and the rest of the defense, plays up to par, Pittsburgh will be in good shape in 2025.
Recommended for you