PITTSBURGH -- The biggest early buzz at Steelers training camp has come from a position group that was supposed to be short-handed. Pittsburgh opened its first camp under new head coach Mike McCarthy without Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr., both of whom were placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List, but the cornerback room has still turned into one of the camp’s most eye-catching stories.
Instead of looking thin, the secondary has looked loaded. Brandin Echols and Asante Samuel Jr. have been especially sharp, and their play is making the Steelers’ cornerback picture look a lot less settled than it did when camp began. What was expected to be a straightforward depth chart may end up being a group with four players capable of starting once the regular season arrives.
Echols said as much after a recent practice.
"We just showed we got depth, that's it," he said when asked about how the group has responded to injuries. "We got depth.
Anybody can go out there and be a starter, whether it's, you know, dime, nickel, corner, safety, anywhere. We can all get it done."
Samuel has been the standout of camp so far. He hasn’t just been strong by Steelers standards; he has been the best corner on the field, period. DeShon Elliott was glowing in his praise of the former second-round pick, saying he believes Samuel would have already made at least $80 million in the NFL if not for the neck injury that cost him more than a year of his career.
That kind of praise is easy to understand watching him line up against DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. on the outside. Samuel has looked fast - really fast - and he’s playing with a burst that Steelers fans didn’t see during his time with the team in 2025.
Even more striking has been his feel for the game. He’s been jumping routes, reading receivers early and consistently making life difficult for the offense.
The way he’s performing has pushed him into the conversation for cornerback two reps. He’s no longer just the next man up. He’s forcing the coaching staff to think hard about how to use him, Porter Jr. and veteran Jamel Dean when everyone is healthy.
Echols has made a similar climb in camp. With Ramsey out, he has spent almost all of his time at nickel and has been tested against DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard in 11-on-11 drills. The result has been a steady stream of wins for Echols.
He’s looked like the same player who forced his way into a bigger role at the start of the 2025 season, and he’s doing it again now. The Steelers have every reason to feel good about how he’s handling the slot, because he’s showing once more that he can be a high-level nickel defender.
All of it adds up to a striking shift for Pittsburgh. After what happened with the 2025 secondary, this group could enter the 2026 regular season as one of the team’s most pleasant surprises.
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