The Pittsburgh Steelers had a question mark at the cornerback position going into the 2024 offseason, as the team didn’t have a strong option on the roster opposite Joey Porter Jr.
But the Steelers got their guy in cornerback Donte Jackson, who was acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, although he came at the expense of trading away Diontae Johnson, which left the Steelers short at wide receiver.
While Jackson is having a strong season, he’s also slated to hit the free-agent market next offseason because he’s in the final year of his contract. If Jackson doesn’t return or proves to be too expensive for the Steelers’ liking, general manager Omar Khan will have to bring someone else in.
And that someone else could be Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy, who Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department believes may end up in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers signed Donte Jackson this offseason and he’s been a strong addition to the defense. The 29-year-old is putting together the best campaign of his career. Him overperforming his one-year contract is nice, but it means that he could be looking for more money next season and the Steelers might want to avoid handing a cornerback who will turn 30 a ton of money in free agency.
That money might be better spent on someone like Byron Murphy. The 27-year-old is thriving under Brian Flores in Minnesota. Of course, Flores was most recently with the Steelers before taking over as the defensive coordinator in Minnesota. He would show up to Pittsburgh and give them two corners who can press and play in an aggressive scheme.
A former second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals, Murphy has found success in the defense of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, as the Washington product is in the midst of his best season.
Granted, Murphy has surrendered a completion on 66.2% of the passes thrown his way, but his 78.5 passer rating when targeted is a career-best mark. According to Pro Football Focus, Murphy is sporting a solid coverage grade of 70.7.
Jackson has better numbers in terms of completion percentage (54.5%) and passer rating allowed (48.4), but he still owns a lackluster coverage grade of 49.0, which is a whopping 21.7 points lower than Murphy’s.
Not only is Murphy a few years younger, he may also cost less on the open market. If Jackson doesn’t return to Pittsburgh in 2025, Murphy would be a solid replacement and a potential multi-year solution.
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