Player: CB Asante Samuel Jr.
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: If rookie third-round pick Daylen Everette proves a fast learner, it could cut into Asante Samuel Jr.’s playing opportunities. As of now, he is set to be the first cornerback off the bench. Possibly, he might even play in the slot a bit, perhaps at the dime defender. This summer, he’ll have to work to hold off the young challenger.
Asante Samuel Jr. likely didn’t expect to have this much competition when he agreed to re-sign with the Steelers at the start of free agency. Returning on a one-year, $4 million contract, he has already watched Pittsburgh stockpile the room.
Shortly after bringing Samuel back, the Steelers signed Jamel Dean in outside free agency. Dean is an unquestioned starter, at least for this season, brought in on a sizeable three-year contract. With Joey Porter Jr. as the other cornerback, there is little room for anybody else.
Because the back end of the secondary already has Jalen Ramsey, DeShon Elliott, and Jaquan Brisker. The Steelers have to figure out who, between Elliott and Brisker, goes to the sideline to keep Ramsey on the field. That means Asante Samuel is in competition as no better than the sixth defensive back.
Before last season, Samuel spent his entire career as a starting cornerback. It was only a career-threatening neck injury that threw him off his trajectory. But if he has starter-level talent, then, honestly, he should be able to hold off all competition for a backup job.
Right now, Samuel’s challenger is Daylen Everette, a third-round pick by the Steelers. Presumed to be in for a redshirt year, he had a strong spring that had the beat reporters buzzing. Of course, media buzz is one thing, and coaching evaluation is another. But if you hold your own covering DK Metcalf, you must have some kind of talent.
Asante Samuel has talent, too, though one thing he lacks is ideal size. And, well, a place within the defense. He might start on a lot of defenses, but the Steelers have Joey Porter, Jamel Dean, and Jalen Ramsey. That’s just a hard group to crack, like Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker room. And a good problem for the Steelers to have, even if Samuel might not love it.
With the 2026 offseason well underway and many moves made, we have stock to take. Already promisinga year of change, the Steelers are shaking things up. That is unavoidable, of course, when you gut the coaching staff. Mike Tomlin’s resignation has fundamentally changed this football team, including the players on the roster.
After a long season, the Steelers showed the ability to win the division and make the playoffs. But they also showed that their progress was minimal,since they made it no further. Two years in a row, with two different quarterbacks, they went 10-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round. The only differences are they ended the season on a higher note and won the AFC North. But it didn’t help.
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