Veteran CB Josiah Scott is Sleeper Slot Option for Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a slot cornerback option that no one is talking about, and his name is Josiah Scott. But could he win the job?
The Pittsburgh Steelers did not come out of the 2024 NFL Draft with a slot cornerback. So, what options do they have that could work? Well, one of them is undrafted free agent Beanie Bishop. But they have someone else on the roster, too — former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Josiah Scott.
Scott joined the Steelers after training camp last season but suffered an injury and ended up on their practice squad’s injured reserve list. From there, the Eagles would bring him into the building, and he would even get back onto their 53-man roster. But now, he joined Pittsburgh again in January.
Scott, 24, was waived by the Eagles in the final cuts in August, and the Steelers signed him to their practice squad on Aug. 31.
A 5-foot-9, 185-pound defensive back, Scott was a fourth-round pick out of Michigan State by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. He played in six games with the Jags as a rookie, but the following May was traded to the Eagles for Jameson Houston.
With Philly, Scott played in 13 games in 2021, mostly on special teams. He played 171 snaps of special teams and 90 snaps of defense, finishing the season with 12 tackles in all situations, one sack, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry.
His role grew significantly in 2022, as he played in 16 of 17 games and made four starts. He finished the season with 26 tackles, two tackles for a loss, eight passes defended and two interceptions.
In other words, he has more experience than anyone else on the team. Scott played 328 snaps in the slot in 2022 and, during his limited game action against Miami in 2023, played in the slot, too. He is almost primarily a slot defender, and the type of player that the Steelers see out on the free agent market who they believe can contribute to the team is due to time.
No one on the roster right now has more slot cornerback experience than Scott. That does not mean he has played well in his limited time, though. 2022 was challenging for Scott, who allowed four touchdowns and an 80 percent completion percentage that season. Teams did go after him in coverage, but he was able to make a presence coming downhill in the run game.
Pittsburgh may still sign someone. But if you are looking at options for the slot cornerback role that is currently on the roster, Scott would qualify for that role. It would seem that Scott is more than likely to get a chance to win that role in training camp, but his play in Philadelphia did not inspire a ton of confidence. Regardless, he has to be factored into the equation.
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