It’s been fairly a while because the Pittsburgh Steelers have had the suitable piece at slot nook. A carousel of experiments since Mike Hilton left in 2020 may recommend that it’s time to take a position extra after the latest failure of Cam Sutton. Beanie Bishop Jr., a 2024 UDFA, is within the fold and did some good issues final season, however a possible improve on the place must be thought of.
Versatility is good on the spot, after all, in protection, run protection and blitzing. The purpose right now is to have a look at the 2024 stats of defensive backs within the draft with a minimum of 75 slot snaps (27 qualifiers). Seeing how they fared in protection from the slot, together with their whole run protection and move dashing, will hopefully reveal high quality choices for Pittsburgh.
First, listed below are slot snaps and slot passer scores allowed:
For starters, we will see which DBs had probably the most slot alternatives final season. 5 gamers stick out with probably the most enjoying time within the slot, led by Arizona State’s Shamari Simmons. His 374 slot snaps comfortably led qualifiers (fourth-most in FBS in 2024), and had a mean 84.4 ranking allowed (fifteenth/27).
Notre Dame’s Jordan Clark was second in slot snaps (328), with a comparable 85.0 ranking in opposition to (sixteenth). Kansas State’s Marques Sigle had 300 slot snaps (third), and the very best 78.0 ranking in opposition to with 250-plus slot snaps.
Two others had that many alternatives. Iowa’s Sebastian Castro’s 282 slot snaps rank fourth however fell effectively under different high-volume slot gamers with a 110.9 ranking allowed (twenty third). BYU’s Jakob Robinson had 274 slot snaps, with a stronger 92.9 ranking in opposition to however nonetheless under common.
The subsequent tier in slot alternatives had been all barely above the imply in slot passer ranking allowed. Ohio State’s Jordan Hancock (226 snaps, 75.2 ranking), Tulane’s Caleb Ransaw (203, 79.1), and Maryland’s Glendon Miller (202, 77.5).
Three others had above-average alternatives however much less than-ideal protection outcomes: Georgia’s Malaki Starks (175 snaps, 94.2 scores), Missouri’s Daylan Carnell (171, 92.8), and Western Kentucky’s Upton Stout (164, 92.7).
Then, there are clear tiers of above and under the imply scores in opposition to for gamers utilized much less within the slot. Listed here are the highest 5 in slot passer ranking allowed: Nevada’s Kitan Crawford (22.6, 86 snaps), Jahdae Barron of Texas (41.1, 18), California’s Craig Woodson (49.6, 93), Pittsburgh’s Donovan McMillon (57.1, 91), and Alabama’s Malachi Moore (59.0, 114). These are good numbers, notably Crawford’s 22.6, the sixth-best within the FBS.
5 extra had above-average scores in opposition to however under the imply snaps: Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts (64.1, 98), Virginia’s Jonas Sanker (65.0, 92), Syracuse’s Justin Barron (70.8, 92), South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori (73.2, 79), and Japanese Kentucky’s Mike Smith Jr. (78.8, 108).
Then, a transparent tier on the decrease left of gamers who lacked high quality and amount in slot protection. In fact, the hope was a robust steadiness of each, however sadly, no gamers on the higher proper of the chart emphasizes an absence of a real standout.
Let’s layer in run protection, utilizing cease and missed sort out charges:
Justin Barron had a stellar 9.0 run cease fee, three factors larger than some other qualifier, impressively. He posted a effectively under common 20.3 missed sort out fee in opposition to the run, although (twenty third), so actually hit and miss. Starks had the very best 4.3 missed sort out fee however paired that with a 2.1 cease fee (T-Twenty first).
Stout was second in missed sort out fee (4.7) with an identical quantity in cease fee (sixth), making his 2024 run protection choices probably the most balanced of the group. He’s considered one of 9 that landed above the imply in each.
The remainder of that listing contains Miller (5.9 cease fee – third, 8.3 miss fee – seventh), Woodson (4.3 – T-seventh, 6.7 – sixth), Penn State’s Jaylen Reed (5.1 – fourth, 11.4 – tenth), Emmanwori (3.9 – tenth, 8.5 – eighth), Carnell (4.3 – T-seventh, 12.0 – Eleventh), Sanker (4.8 – fifth, 13.0 – 14th), Ransaw (3.8 – T-Eleventh, 12.5 – thirteenth), and Watts (3.6 – thirteenth, 12.3 – twelfth).
Now for move dashing, utilizing move rush snaps and move rush productiveness (formulation that mixes sacks, hits, hurries, and move rush snaps):
As soon as once more, the chart is devoid of gamers on the highest proper. The three gamers that rushed the passer most additionally landed above the imply (barely) in productiveness. Reed and Justin Barron tied for probably the most move rushes of the group, with PRP of 17.5 (seventh) and 16.3 (Eleventh). Stout was third with 37 move rushes, simply above the imply in PRP (14.3, fifteenth).
Then, 4 extra DBs landed at or above the imply in each: Sanker (22.2 PRP – fifth, 21 snaps – T-seventh), Moore (16.7 – T-eighth, 20 – T-ninth), Simmons (16.7 – T-eighth, 17 – Eleventh), and Jahdae Barron (15.8 – twelfth, 21 – T-seventh).
Two different gamers had 30-plus move rushes: Robinson (35) and Castro (31), however decrease PRP of 8.8 (nineteenth) and 6.9 (twentieth) had been under common amongst their friends. Three gamers caught out with spectacular PRP, maximizing on much less alternative. Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman Jr. (33.3 PRP – first, three snaps), Watts (30.8 – second, 14), and Crawford (30.0 – third, ten).
Conclusion
It’s fairly troublesome to verify each field on the slot CB place, and curiously, the research revealed that the draft group would label a overwhelming majority of the qualifiers as safeties. The participant with probably the most balanced stats was Jonas Sanker, with slot protection snaps being his solely below-average consequence.
That’s an vital one, although, with expertise being invaluable. Marques Sigle and Shamari Simmons had a lot larger slot snaps. Decrease marks for the previous had been missed tackles in run protection, and below-average move rush snaps. Simmons impressed general, with missed run tackles additionally being his most obvious weak point final season.
Miller did some good issues in 2024, however a transparent adverse was his pass-rush manufacturing. Stout rounds out the highest 5 of the cumulative stats, however his worst stat was slot passer ranking allowed. It’s early, however seemingly, not one of the 5 names listed above would require a excessive decide funding, which might be nice to deal with different positions early.
Although he had fewer slot protection snaps, I favored what I noticed from Watts. He has good protection, run protection, and pass-rush manufacturing and may very well be a great earlier-round possibility. There are a number of different names I might focus on additional, however from a stats perspective, that is the shortlist that I believe may very well be a solution for the Steelers at slot nook.
