For what's felt like years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been trying to shore up their cornerback room. Drafting Joey Porter Jr. in the second round back in 2023 was a big step in that, but a lack of depth at the position still led to them trading Diontae Johnson for Donte' Jackson last offseason. With Jackson hitting free agency, though, the Steelers made efforts this offseason to, at minimum, solidify the top of the depth chart.
Pittsburgh was quick to pounce on veteran Super Bowl champion Darius Slay following his departure from the Eagles, giving the Steelers a beautiful starting tandem on the outside with Slay and Porter. They furthered those efforts by bringing in Brandin Echols from the Jets in free agency as well, who figures to compete with 2024 UDFA breakout Beanie Bishop Jr. in the nickel.
It's safe to say that the top of the Steelers secondary is the best it's looked in quite some time. However, once you get past that group at the top, it gets tricky. Cory Trice Jr. hasn't proven to be reliable, nor has James Pierre, when playing in the secondary. So it stands to reason that the Steelers should still be in the market for more depth at cornerback.
The NFL Draft is the most obvious option, but the Steelers could also consider bringing a familiar face back into the fold: C.J. Henderson.
Could Steelers bring back C.J. Henderson for CB depth?
Henderson came to the Steelers as an early-season signing in September after he failed to make the 53-man cut in Houston. He was initially signed to the practice squad but did get up to Pittsburgh's active roster, though he wasn't used at all, seeing the field for zero snaps.
I know, you're probably thinking that it'd be weird for the Steelers to bring back a player who they didn't use. And you know, that's probably fair. At the same time, Henderson remains enticing and keeps catching on at different places because of his raw talent. He was a Top 10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and, while he's never lived up to that billing, the athletic traits for a long corner are still worth trying to bank on and keep developing.
What makes him particularly attractive for the Steelers beyond the familiarity of spending last season in the building is that they don't need Henderson to be a reliable cornerback right away. Again, Pittsburgh has worked hard this offseason to make their secondary stronger. What they need to protect from is not having any answers or options if there's an injury. Adding Henderson to the group of Trice, Bishop and Pierre would absolutely be worthwhile to help that cause.
Reuniting with Henderson isn't a guarantee. The draft likely is the best option to find more cornerback depth but, at the same time, the draft is also never a sure bet. There's no certainty that a defensive back Pittsburgh feels is valuable is there when they're on the clock. If that winds up being the reality at the end of April, though, Henderson checks the boxes as a fallback plan that the Steelers should be more than comfortable pursuing.