One of the biggest offseason losses the Pittsburgh Steelers had to endure this offseason was that of cornerback Joe Haden. Haden had been the Steelers top cornerback for the past five seasons and a true No. 1 cornerback. But according to Football Outsiders via ESPN, his replacement, Levi Wallace is the team’s most underrated player.
Here is what they had to say about the addition of Wallace:
Wallace was an under-the-radar signing from Buffalo, where he turned in a strong 2021 season and allowed the Bills to survive the loss of Tre’Davious White to injury. Wallace was sixth in the NFL in yards per pass allowed, was 21st in coverage success rate and was a strong run defender as well. His numbers in a vacuum indicate an elite corner — so why was he available in free agency for two years and $8 million?
I’m not sure I’m ready to call Wallace the team’s best cornerback as they did but he should integrate fine into the defense. In terms of truly underrated players, it’s hard to get past cornerback Cameron Sutton.
Sutton is the guy in the secondary with the most scheme versatility and experience in the system. Yet everyone is just writing him off for a starting job. However, Sutton’s ability to play in the slot as well as safety gives him a role on the defense but further illustrates how underrated he is.
Who is your most underrated player on the Steelers roster? Let us know in the comments below.
