With options running out for the Pittsburgh Steelers , here are the top cornerback options still available on the market.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are already planning to sign Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay once he is officially released. However, they should still do their best to add another corner to set themselves up better for the 2025 NFL Draft.
With that in mind, options are running out as several of the top corners have already agreed to sign elsewhere. So here are the top options that are still available.
Samuel has spent most of his NFL career as an outside corner while registering 176 tackles (148 solo), six interceptions and 37 passes defensed. However, he has the capability to bump inside if necessary at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. That would allow Slay and promising cornerback Cory Trice Jr. to play opposite Joey Porter Jr. on the outside.
The 25-year-old has had some tackling woes and is coming off a season in which he played in just four games due to a shoulder injury, but he has an intangible that the Steelers look for: An NFL bloodline. He is the son of former two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel.
Alexander is not a free agent but the Packers have reportedly already had trade conversations centered around the star corner and are open to moving him for the right price.
The 28-year-old has struggled to stay healthy as of late, playing in just seven games in each of the past two seasons. However, when healthy, he is still one of the best ballhawks in the league.
Since being selected in the first-round (No. 18 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft, Alexander has recorded 287 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 12 interceptions and 70 passes defensed.
Alexander still has two years left on the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed ahead of the 2022 season and has a base salary of $16.15 million in 2025.
Douglas already has ties to the Steelers organization. He won a Super Bowl with assistant general manager Andy Weidl in Philadelphia.
The 30-year-old has bounced around the league over the past few years, but he's been productive in Buffalo, registering 87 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, four interceptions, 13 passes defensed and one touchdown from 2023-24.
Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas (31) runs out for introductions before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Douglas fits the Steelers mold they look for in their cornerbacks at 6-foot-2, 209 pounds and could prove to be a cheap add to their secondary.
Hilton began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He eventually landed on the Steelers, with whom he established himself as one of the best slot corners in the league. In 2021, Hilton signed a four-year, $24 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
That contract expired following the 2024 season and he may be open to finishing his career where it really started.
The 31-year-old proved he still has some gas left in the tank in 2024 while recording 73 tackles, one interception and five passes defensed.
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens in a game on Jan. 4, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Hughes, a former first-round pick, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. In 2024, he had a career-high 66 tackles (51 solo) and six passes defensed.
The 28-year-old has played both slot and outside cornerback throughout his career, giving him the versatility the Steelers are looking for.
Hughes does have a bit of an injury history, which included missing seven games in 2024. But he might be worth the risk given what's left on the open market.
Jones is another corner that has played both inside and outside. He will turn 32 next season but he still proved to be serviceable in 2024, registering 58 tackles, two forced fumbles and six passes defensed.
New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 7, 2023 — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The veteran has also played a little bit of safety, which the Steelers could view as valuable with safety Damontae Kazee hitting free agency.
Jones is not Pittsburgh's long-term answer at slot corner but he could easily fill that role in 2025 while helping to bring along promising slot corner Beanie Bishop.
Jackson is another former first-round pick the Steelers could try to squeeze what good football they've got left in them. The Giants reduced his role in 2024, but that was likely a product of rising star Deonte Banks .
The 29-year-old still managed to have 28 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and five passes defensed while starting just five games.
Gilmore was once the top defensive player in all of football, let alone the best cornerback. However, the 34-year-old's age seems like it is catching up to him. In 2024, he had 56 tackles, one interception and nine passes defensed in a supporting role in Minnesota's defense.
If the Steelers are interested in Gilmore filling a similar role while also mentoring Porter, it could be a good fit. That seems unlikely after just signing another 34-year-old corner in Slay, though.
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