In classic Pittsburgh Steelers fashion, general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin have built the foundation for a dominant secondary through the NFL Draft in recent years.
Joey Porter Jr. improved as his rookie season went along in 2023, after being chosen in the second round of last spring’s draft, and rookie Beanie Bishop could push for the starting nickel job this season.
There might also be a young Steelers defensive back primed to become a household name in the Iron City.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Cory Trice ‘Ready to Surprise’ in 2024
While Porter has the NFL lineage, and pedigree, to develop into a star, at least one NFL analyst believes Cory Trice is in for a big 2024 season that could be the launching pad of his career.
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso lists Trice as one of the cornerbacks on his ‘out of nowhere breakout team’ for the upcoming campaign.
“It was Trice, not necessarily Joey Porter Jr., in his rookie-year training camp, who early on looked like favorite to play on the boundary in 2023,” Trapasso writes for CBS. “Then an ACL tear hit, and Trice missed his entire first season in the NFL. Now, Trice has reportedly earned Pittsburgh’s first-time “dimebacker” role, as a box defender with coverage skill who comes onto the field when the Steelers trot out their dime package to combat three and four-plus receiver looks.
“Trice has the coverage instincts, length, and athleticism to become a critical contributor to what should be a stingy Steelers defense in 2024.”
The 2024 season will be a bit of a do-over for Trice’s rookie season, that was derailed by his season-ending injury in training camp, But, the Steelers could be counting on big things both in 2024 and beyond.
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