Standing at just 5 feet 9 inches tall, Mike Hilton was the smallest player on the Steelers defense last season. But filling Hilton’s shoes at slot corner after he signed a free agent contract with the Bengals in March will be one of the bigger challenges for the coaching staff this summer.
Hilton did a little bit of everything for the Steelers in their nickel package as the third corner. He could, of course, cover, but he was excellent in run support and gave an added dimension with his ability to blitz and provide pressure off the edge.
There are better slot corners in the NFL, but it’s hard to find another player with as diverse of a skill set.
The Steelers are auditioning two players for the position early in training camp. One of them played just 29 snaps as a rookie last season and the other is a veteran free agent who is just getting his feet wet in the Steelers defense.
Antoine Brooks and Arthur Maulet have been alternating reps with the first-team defense through the first few days of camp. Brooks was a sixth-round draft choice out of Maryland last year who saw most of his playing time on special teams. Maulet came to the Steelers after stints with the Saints, Colts and Jets. He brings 12 games of starting experience with him, including 11 over the past two seasons with the Jets.
“It’s a good battle,” secondary coach Teryl Austin said. “You have a veteran guy and a second-year guy. Those guys are really starting to turn it on. In the first part of OTAs and minicamp, it was ‘Oh boy watch out.’ Now they have adapted well and have started off strong. I think that’s been a really good battle. I think it will help us as a team if both of them perform well.”
The hope is one of them can win the confidence of the coaches in the coming weeks. That would allow Cam Sutton to remain strictly an outside corner. Sutton, who signed a two-year, $9 million contract in March, played just about everywhere in the Steelers secondary the past four seasons, including plenty of time at slot corner when Hilton was injured over the years.
That’s Plan B for the Steelers. Plan A is taking center stage in camp with Brooks and Maulet getting opportunities to show they can be the answer.
“We always know Cam Sutton can play in there,” Austin said. “I don’t doubt Cam, but that’s not where we want Cam right now. I want to see if we can strengthen our team by having the other guy in there.”
The nice thing about having Sutton as a backup plan is his readiness to move into any role at any time. Austin doesn’t have a specific timeline in evaluating Brooks and Maulet, but he can take all four preseason games if he needs them to make a decision.
“I don’t think there’s a date in mind,” Austin said. “I think it’ll shake itself out. Those things usually do once you see them in a few preseason games and in competitive situations. One guy usually separates from the other. I’m not worried about it. And I’m not worried if it doesn’t work out with either one of those guys if we had to move Cam inside. He can get ready with a week’s worth of reps.”
If it does come to Plan B, James Pierre or Justin Layne are the top candidates to play on the outside when Sutton has to play in the slot. Pierre opened some eyes this spring with some impressive showings, but Brooks and Maulet have made their fair share of plays during the first four days of camp.
The separation could start to come this week when the Steelers begin practicing in pads. The first padded practice is Wednesday at Heinz Field. The first preseason game is Aug. 5 against the Dallas Cowboys.
“That scenario is always there because we want our best guys on the field,” Austin said. “Right now we know Cam can play nickel, but he’s playing outside right now as a starter. We don’t know what we have inside with nickel so we want to make sure we know what we have there. And if James Pierre has an outstanding camp, or Justin Layne, if those guys play lights out in the preseason… whoever the five best are those are the guys we want on the field.”
In a perfect scenario, the Steelers will discover Brooks or Maulet can do Hilton-like things from the slot. That would allow for some continuity within the defense and keep Sutton at the same spot all game.
That’s another added benefit from the Brooks-Maulet competition. After years of playing outside corner, slot corner, safety and dime linebacker, Sutton is settling in as a full-time outside corner. Whether he gets to stay there will depend on what transpires over the few weeks with Brooks and Maulet.
“He’s doing well,” Austin said. “Cam is extremely bright person, a bright football player. He sees things that happen and is really good in terms of route recognition. He’s another guy who has steadily improved since I got here. You really can see the improvement. He’s going to be fine outside. He has great ball skills and is a solid tackler, good quickness and great awareness. He’s got the things you need in order to be able to play there.”
