Steelers Training Camp Outlook: DB Depth Chart

Ahead of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent’s College in Latrobe (Penn) from July 24 through August 12, 2025, Steel City Underground presents outlooks on each positional group’s depth chart and offers insight on how those players may fare ahead of the NFL regular season.

As the Steelers prepare for training camp, we take a look at one of the larger groups of players to see a makeover this offseason: the defensive backs.

With the lines blurring between cornerbacks and safeties, Mike Tomlin, a former defensive backs coach before taking the Steelers head coaching job, appears to be searching for versatility and playmaking. The group represents an interesting mix of established talent, including returning players and key acquisitions.

In all, the message is clear that Pittsburgh wanted to shore up the backend of their defense after years of rummaging through the bargain bin for contributors. Several of their recent moves, particularly with this group, signal a “win now” approach by the front office. Here’s a closer look at the Steelers’ defensive backs as we head into camp.

Cornerbacks group: Beanie Bishop Jr., Brandin Echols, James Pierre, Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Donte Kent (KR)

Safeties group: DeShon Elliott, Miles Killebrew, Juan Thornhill, Sebastian Castro

Defensive backs group: D’Shawn Jamison, Quindell Johnson, Cameron McCutcheon, Kyler McMichael, Cory Trice Jr.

New Additions

The biggest news with the Steelers secondary occurred recently when the team traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in a package deal to the Miami Dolphins that bring cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh.

Ramsey’s versatility along with his willingness to tackle and make plays along the line of scrimmage makes him a complete fit to substitute for Fitzpatrick’s play, albeit from a different position. Ramsey will play as a nickel or slot corner, a position the Steelers have struggled to man over the years. They’ve attempted to fill the role, to various degrees of success, with players such as Mike Hilton, Cameron Sutton, and Arthur Mallet. Now they’ll see a significant boost at the position.

Ramsey wasn’t the only impact player Pittsburgh added during the offseason, as they came to terms with veteran corner Darius Slay and an experienced safety, Juan Thornhill. Slay played in two Super Bowls with the Philadelphia Eagles, winning it all last year. Despite his age (34) he has shown no signs of slowing down.

Thornhill appeared in multiple Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, joining their team as a second round pick in 2019. He spent his last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, giving Steelers brass a front row seat to his ability to play either safety role.

Returning Players

While Fitzpatrick will be missed at the safety position his high-priced contract with a recent lack of splash play production made him expendable. There was also some rumblings late last season with miscommunication on defense, with some subtle fingers pointed in Minkah’s direction.

His departure could impact DeShon Elliott, who was rewarded with a contract extension this offseason after having his best season as a pro. The secondary also sees the Steelers 2023 second round pick Joey Porter Jr. run it back for his third season as a pro. Porter got “grabby” in some games last season, famously being penalized over, and over, in a shootout win against the Bengals.

Elliott and Porter establish a nice foundation for Slay, Ramsey, and Thornhill to jump into, giving the Steelers one of the more imposing secondaries around the league.

Hidden Gems

The jury is still out on the development of Cory Trice Jr., who missed all of his rookie season and was thrust into action after a slow start in 2024 as well. He’s currently listed on the roster as a “DB” which may mean a transition is in the works for oft-injured third-year player. If he can remain healthy, his trajectory could shoot upward learning from Slay and Ramsey.

Beanie Bishop, an undrafted rookie in 2024 who showed flashes of being a capable slot corner in the pros, finds his role bumped for the more physically imposing and established Ramsey.

However, Bishop should still see reps as an additional corner in dime packages, and will no longer have to face the same mismatches with Ramsey on the field. The defense took a tumble after turning to Sutton in Bishop’s place last season, suggesting Beanie wasn’t as much of a liability when on the field.

Miles Killebrew continues to be a special teams ace with a safety position designation. There’s nothing hidden about him, rather, the depth behind Elliott and Thornhill. The Steelers will look to undrafted Iowa rookie Sebastian Castro to be a “next man up” on the depth chart.

Depth

While depth could be an issue at the safety position, the Steelers have plenty of it at cornerback. James Pierre returned after the start of the 2024 season to help on special teams and the occasional fill-in at corner. He will join Trice and a number of others in camp, giving the Steelers a viable corner room that’s five-to-six players deep.

The roster only has four safeties listed as of publication: Elliott, Thornhill, Killebrew and Castro. Someone will have to rise from the group as a primary backup or the team will be looking at possible roster cuts or street free agents to shore up any depth concerns.