Daniel Jeremiah Believes Steelers Have Best Secondary in AFC North

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah believes that the Pittsburgh Steelers have the best secondary in the entire AFC North in 2024.

Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr.
Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. comes out of the tunnel against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oct. 29, 2023 - Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

The Pittsburgh Steelers made sweeping changes to their secondary entering the 2024 season. They added DeShon Elliott to replace Keanu Neal as the hammer next to Minkah Fitzpatrick. At cornerback, they added speed with Donte Jackson. And they brought back Cam Sutton to man the slot cornerback position. All the starting spots seem accounted for across the board, but where would this unit stack up across the division?

Daniel Jeremiah believes that after their additions, the Steelers have the best secondary in the AFC North over the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Baltimore Ravens. Much of that is tied to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr., who are putting the team over the rest of those listed.

Pittsburgh Steelers FS Minkah Fitzpatrick

“Number one, Minkah is just steady, reliable, the leadership, the production,” Jeremiah said on the Move the Sticks Podcast. “Everything about him I love. I think Joey Porter is on a rocket ship. I really do. I had a chance to go out there and see them at training camp last year, has nothing to do with his dad, this guy just gets it. He looks like a Steeler, plays like a Steeler.”

The Steelers have a well-rounded group, but it’s hard to place that over the all-encompassing secondary of the Browns. They have plugged in spots all over the secondary with high-level players, and there are significant depth questions in Pittsburgh’s secondary while lacking the high-end play of Cleveland’s three cornerbacks.

Pittsburgh should have a much-improved secondary, but it does not feel like the best in the division. If they can get a leap from Porter and Fitzpatrick returns to his ball-hawking ways, they can put themselves into the conversation. Pittsburgh will need consistent play from all players around the secondary for that to occur, though, and Porter will have to take a significant second-year leap.

Tags: