It was abundantly clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers went into the offseason with a clear edict to upgrade the cornerback position heading into the 2025 season from the get-go. Not only did they add Darius Slay in free agency to play alongside Joey Porter Jr., but they also landed former Jets corner Brandin Echols in free agency as well. Since then, though, they've also pulled off a blockbuster trade for Jalen Ramsey, which could mean bad news for Echols and, to some degree, the Steelers too.
Echols, who the Jets selected in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Kentucky, was by no means a star in New York. His best performance came in limited work in 2022, but he overall struggled to prove himself in coverage throughout his tenure there. Still, the Steelers signed him to a two-year, $6 million contract this offseason to help even out the depth, obviously before they knew they'd be able to bring Ramsey into the fold.
However, now that Ramsey is in the building, it's getting more difficult to find a role for Echols to play, assuming that the former All-Pro doesn't move to safety as some have surmised. Even then, though, it's looking like Echols is a depth piece, at best, for the Steelers — but there's also a chance he's simply a case of Pittsburgh throwing away a couple million dollars.
Steelers newcomer Brandin Echols in danger of being cut before Week 1
To be clear, it's unlikely that the Steelers cut Echols simply because of the structure of his contract. While he is only on the books for $2.085 million in the 2025 season, all but $250,000 of that is guaranteed. Especially at a position like cornerback where depth can be so crucial if there are any meaningful injuries, it doesn't make sense to just flush $1.83 million in guarantees down the drain in dead cap.
At the same time, it's getting more difficult by the day to see how Echols fits into the mix at all with the Steelers. Some combination of Slay, Porter Jr. and Ramsey are expected to start on the outside and in the slot at cornerback. Meanwhile, Beanie Bishop Jr. and James Pierre have the experience in Pittsburgh that gives them some sort of edge as backups, the same of which is somewhat true for Cory Trice Jr. That puts Echols in a position to battle with those three and seventh-round rookie Donte Kent for spots on the depth chart.
Given his underwhelming performance to this point in his career along with minimal production (five interceptions, 16 pass defenses in four seasons), it's hard to see Echols actually moving up the depth chart in any meaningful capacity.
Again, I think the money that the Steelers guaranteed the veteran cornerback likely means he'll be on the roster, or at least will be someone Pittsburgh explores trading rather than cutting outright. However, that's not at all looking like money well spent by Omar Khan and this front office. With the rest of the moves they've made at cornerback this offseason, Echols appears to be on the roster but not in line to play any meaningful role for this defense.