The Pittsburgh Steelers came into the offseason with a few positions on the roster in need of an upgrade. One of those positions was cornerback, where the team had solid, but not great depth last season.
Their best cornerback from 2022, Cameron Sutton, was hitting free agency and it didn’t take long for him to depart Pittsburgh. He signed a three-year deal with the Detroit Lions, joining their revamped secondary.
The Steelers didn’t waste any time in filling the void left by his departure. The team was able to snag veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, who had one of the most productive seasons of his decorated career in 2022 with the Minnesota Vikings. They added his teammate, Chandon Sullivan, in free agency as well.
It is certainly a risk adding two players from what was such a weak secondary last season, but the Steelers made sure to continue bolstering the position during the 2023 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh used their second-round pick on Joey Porter Jr. out of Penn State and seventh-round pick on Cory Trice Jr. out of Purdue.
With so many additions to the roster, what does that mean for the future of Ahkello Witherspoon? Witherspoon has been a part of the Steelers’ secondary since 2021 when he was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in a trade.
Injuries have marred his tenure in Pittsburgh as he has appeared in only 13 games in two seasons. In 2022 he made only four appearances but played well when on the field, registering a 75.9 PFF grade.
Alas, he could lose out in the numbers game. The Steelers have loaded up on depth this offseason, potentially leaving Witherspoon on the outside looking in. With that being a possibility, the Las Vegas Raiders should give their old-school rivals a call.
Las Vegas desperately needs some depth in their secondary. Right now Duke Shelley and David Long Jr. are projected to be starters with fourth-round pick Jakorian Bennett as the depth behind them. Trying to slow down Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson in their division, the Raiders certainly need some more help.
Witherspoon would be a nice addition to that group should the Steelers make him available. What could a trade between Las Vegas and Pittsburgh look like? A suggested trade package would be the Raiders sending a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Steelers for Witherspoon.
That is a fair price given Witherspoon’s struggles to stay on the field and the fact he is in the final year of his contract. It is a move he could be open to as well as playing time will be hard to come by in Pittsburgh for the six-year veteran.
