The Steelers took cornerback Cameron Sutton in the third round of this year’s draft with the hope that he’d increase their depth in the secondary, but they haven’t gotten a return on that investment yet.
Sutton hurt his hamstring before the start of the regular season and was placed on injured reserve after the cut to 53 players. There’s still hope he’ll be able to add something to the team before the year is out, however, and Sutton returned to practice on Tuesday.
Defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said that’s the first step in figuring out if Sutton has a role in 2017.
“Really right now we’re just evaluating and letting him get the rust off,” Lake said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It’s been a while since he’s been out there to practice with us. My expectations right now are not too high. I’m just really trying to let him get a feel for the defense again. I’m not making any big plans for Cam right now. I just want to let Cam get settled in again and see where he is from a physical and mental standpoint. Time will tell if we’re going to take the wrapper off Cam. That will play out.”
Artie Burns, Joe Haden and Mike Hilton have been the top cornerbacks for the Steelers and the defense has been playing well. so there’s no immediate need for Sutton. Injuries can change a picture quickly, however, and Pittsburgh may have Sutton ready to go should they strike in the coming weeks.