Steelers Sign Former Jets CB

PITTSBURGH — The roster overhaul for the Pittsburgh Steelers continued in the first week of the NFL’s legal tampering period and free agency. With the new league year becoming official, contract announcements are rolling in. The latest for the Steelers is an addition to their secondary and special teams unit, as they added a former New York Jets cornerback.

The Steelers signed CB Brandin Echols to a contract, according to Fox Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. The 27-year-old defensive back has played his entire NFL career with the Jets, but now is heading to Pittsburgh.

Echols was a sixth-round pick of the Jets during the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Kentucky. Standing at 5’10” and 180 pounds, Echols is a quick-footed, outside corner back who has shown a tendency for interceptions and deflecting passes.

Last season with the Jets, Echols played in 16 games. He registered 40 total tackles, 29 solo and 11 assisted, and also managed a fumble recovery.

The statistic that pops out for Echols, and surely caught the eye of the Steelers, is his career interceptions. Last season, he played 407 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Reference. Despite only playing in 35% of the defensive plays, he secured two interceptions and was credited with three passes deflected.

That’s been consistent throughout his four NFL seasons. Over his 57 career games with the Jets, Echols has five interceptions and 16 passes deflected.

The big question will be where Echols fits on the Steelers' depth chart. He played primarily on the outside in 2024 for the Jets and on special teams, but has snaps across all four seasons as the slot corner. With the organization also reportedly bringing in Darius Slay, it’s unclear if this is a move to bolster the depth only, or to push Slay for the number two CB spot. The one thing that’s clear is that the Steelers have prioritized upgrading their secondary going into the 2025 season.