Injuries in Steelers’ secondary provide some opportunities
LATROBE – When the Steelers opened training camp, they did so with a group of cornerbacks they were excited about.
But two weeks into training camp at Saint Vincent College, starter and 2016 first-round draft pick Artie Burns; Cameron Sutton, a third-round pick this year; and Senquez Golson, a 2015 second-round selection; have suffered injuries.
The bumps and bruises associated with training camp aren’t serious for those three cornerbacks, but they’ve tested the depth of the Steelers at the position.
“Football is physical. It’s part of the game. Injuries happen often,” said Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake. “You try to prepare your players to become a starter. You’re only one play away from becoming a starter or seeing significant playing time. That’s how I approach it. I try to prepare all the guys as if they’re going to start.”
Two players taking advantage of those added opportunities are Coty Sensabaugh and Mike Hilton.
When the Steelers open preseason play against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, Sensabaugh will be in the starting lineup, and Hilton should play early and often in the slot.
That Sensabaugh, a six-year veteran with 29 career starts with the Titans, Rams and Giants, is in the mix isn’t a surprise. He was signed as a free agent in the offseason to provide veteran depth.
The 5-9, 184-pound Hilton, however, has been one of the pleasant surprises of the offseason and training camp for the Steelers. The Steelers keep track of interceptions and pass breakups throughout the offseason practices and training camp. And Hilton, an Ole Miss product, leads the team in both categories.
“I can’t do anything about my size,” said Hilton, a teammate of Golson’s at Mississippi. “But I can do something about my competitiveness and my confidence. I just want to compete on every play, give it my all, every play.”
Hilton moved from running back to defensive back in his sophomore season at Ole Miss, playing cornerback and safety.
Despite being an All-SEC first-team pick as a senior at strong safety, he went undrafted last year but signed with Jacksonville, which released him at the end of training camp. He signed with New England, spending a couple of weeks on the practice squad before being released again. The Steelers signed him to their practice squad in mid-December.
“That really helped because it allowed me the opportunity to get in here and learn the playbook,” Hilton said. “I felt like when I came back for the rookie minicamp, which I took part in, and the OTAs, I already had a leg up.”
Thus far, he’s shown that by making play after play in this camp, carrying over the momentum he built in the offseason.
“We noticed that he had some skill sets that made us say, ‘Hey, we might have something.'” Lake said. “He’s proving to be a standout. He’s tenacious. He’s got some physical tools. He’s a willing tackler. He’s smart and he can play multiple positions back there. He adds a lot of value back there.”
Hilton draws favorable comparisons from Lake to two smallish cornerbacks he played with when he was a safety with the Steelers: Willie Williams and Chris Oldham.
“Absolutely, you could move Willie around. Willie was fast, very fast, and smart and wound up being a starter here,” Lake said. “Another guy I would say would be Chris Oldham. Chris was a key contributor on defense for a number of years here, not only on special teams but on defense. He played the dime back. That’s kind of how I see Mike.”
Williams played 13 seasons in the NFL, including six with the Steelers. Oldham spent 12 years in the league, including five in Pittsburgh. Like Hilton, both were 5-9.
Hilton would love to stick around the league that long. And it could happen if he can carry his strong play into the preseason games.
Making plays on the ball in practice is one thing. But doing so in games holds even more importance to head coach Mike Tomlin.
“That’s the goal,” said Hilton. “I just want to go out there and make plays, no matter if it’s on defense or special teams. My confidence is high and that’s the key. When you play with confidence, good things happen.”
Odds and end zones
Josh Dobbs will start at quarterback for the Steelers and be relieved by fellow rookie Bart Houston. Ben Roethlisberger and Landry Jones, the team’s top two quarterbacks, will not play. … Receiver Martavis Bryant, cleared to resume practicing and play in the preseason by the NFL Wednesday, will not play for the Steelers. Bryant is coming back from a year-long suspension for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. … With Antonio Brown not scheduled to play, Eli Rogers will get a shot to handle punt returns for the Steelers.