Pittsburgh – Patrick Peterson did a double take.
As a skinny up-and-comer who pulled off an interception by quarterback Mitch Trubisky in the waning minutes of Ota’s tenure, the veteran began celebrating with his teammate.
One problem:
Peterson almost shouted the wrong name.
Honestly, about Corey’s objection [Trice] I almost said, “JP” because it’s just like [Joey Porter Jr.]Peterson said. But to be both – as a coach [Mike Tomlin] He likes to call ’em angles – ‘Avatar’, that would be special, man, because these two guys, they both, want to learn. They want to have as much knowledge as they need to be successful. When you see guys like that, you can’t help but gush over them.”
Drafted five innings apart, Porter and Trice aren’t actually larger-than-life James Cameron created the Blues, but they represent the Steelers’ new wave of cornerbacks, matching a wide-ranging trend that has seen the rise of larger-bodied, lean defensive backs.
“These guys are tremendous athletes,” said Peterson. “Big and strong. I’ve told these guys they’re ‘new day and age’ backs because that’s what NFL managers and teams are looking for. Big, tall players who can run and also have those physical attributes. And it sure is fun having these guys around,” he said. Because maybe he can help me play for another three years.”
Not only is Porter 6-foot-2, he also has a wingspan of about 81 inches – approximately 6-8. While Trice did not have an official wingsuit measurement listed, his 40-yard dash was a quick 4.47 seconds, a hundredth of a second slower than Porter’s. The Steelers had Porter higher on their board than Trice, picking the Penn State product with the first pick of the second round, but Trice, a Purdue senior, was also a desirable prospect.
The way the press plays [coverage]“Being able to come down and not play a kinetic style, not backup, but really use a 6-3, 6-2 frame just to take up a lot of space and have the guys work on the line of scrimmage,” Steelers defensive backs coach Grady Brown said while recruiting. I love him on Trice.”…he just isn’t supportive. A lot of times in today’s game, guys walk the line of scrimmage, and as soon as the receiver moves or the receiver swings, they drop back and we give the space we walked to take it away. He doesn’t.”
At first, Trice wasn’t sure what to make of his head coach’s “Avatar” comparison, but he accepted the characterization once his teammates filled it in.
“Honestly, I didn’t even know anything about what an Avatar was,” Trace said. “But I’ve heard they’re tall aliens. I think it’s a good thing, especially Mike Tomlin calling us that. So we’ll take it, and roll with it.”
The Steelers have trended longer running backs lately, but at over 74 inches, Porter and Trace were the longest draft picks by a Steelers since ESPN began collecting draft measurement data in 2006. The Steelers last drafted defensive backs in 2019 and 2017, And these players had an average height of 73.75 inches and 73.1875 inches, respectively. In the Steelers’ 2012, 2013, and 2015 drawing seasons, the average height for defensive backs was less than 70.5 inches.
What does this mean? Why are the Steelers piling on “Avatar” cornbucks right now?
In 2012, defensive backs who are 6 feet or taller played about 1,000 fewer snaps than those shorter than 6 feet, according to ESPN Stats & Information Research. In the 10 seasons since then, catches of defensive backs less than 6 feet in length have increased by 25%, while snaps of defensive backs less than 6 feet in length have decreased by 12%. Last season, the taller group of defensive backs played 36,062 more snaps than their shorter teammates at the position.
“These guys are big and tall,” Brown said during the mini-camp. “You can have men of great height, and they may not always be so great. These men are big, and they have great size and great speed. I joke with them. I say they are the big brothers, men who love them. … If someone bullies you, go get your big brother.” And these guys are big brothers.” The broad trend toward the type of player the Browns describe — including players like 2022 Seattle fifth-round pick Tariq Woolen (6-4, 210 lbs.) and 2022 Jets first-choice Gardner (6-3, 200 lbs.) — said the wide receivers coach of Steelers Frieseman-Jackson It’s partly because of the advent of oversized receivers.
“The big petition was the massive trend to beat the small databases,” Jackson said. “And now there are big angles, and that’s the new thing. And so I say guys, these guys have long arms. You have to prepare yourself to fight. That’s become the thing in the league. Look all over the league and everybody’s got a corner 6-2, 6-3 And so it would be great to meet these two guys here and training camp during the season because they will give us that iron work that we need.”
But Tomlin cautioned that size isn’t everything. Porter and Trace’s success will be dictated more by how they use that size and how well they fit into the Steelers’ blueprint. In the Steelers’ aggressive man-to-man defense, that length can come in handy—as long as they’re in control.
“Height is an asset if you’re clean, so they should be without penalty,” Tomlin said. “You know, they have to know which way to go. Sometimes when you fall short, you have it [awareness] Excellent, and when you misplace it, you make things faster. When you are tall don’t. And so, they’re very much writing their story about what they can do. I love their attention. I like the traits they bring, but it’s too early to paint a picture of where they are.”
Another benefit of having Porter and Trice in the fold is the flexibility it gives Peterson. If Porter, who has spent time with the first-team defense during off-season training, lines up veteran outside side Levi Wallace, Peterson can run inside to the slot, a position up for grabs after Arthur Mullett’s sudden departure. Although he was shy about the prospect during OTAs, Peterson spoke candidly about his desire to play all over the field when he signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Steelers in March.
“I don’t know what the plan is right now, but I’m certainly open to it,” Peterson said at his introductory press conference. “It’s no secret. I’m not 28 anymore, you know what I mean? I’ll be 33 here in July, but the body feels great. I want to be in a position to continue to help my team, but also be in A situation that will continue to help me be successful.”
After a season with a patchwork cornerback led by Cameron Sutton, the Steelers have crucial depth and flexibility thanks to their offseason additions – and are better equipped to match some of the dynamic offensive threats in their league like the T.I. Higgins, Jamar Chase, and Mark Andrews.
“With wide receivers nowadays being 6-4, 6-5, to have a 6-2, 6-3 angle that can match these guys is perfect,” Porter said. “Since the Steelers acquired both of us, Corey and I, I feel like it’s going to be really good this season and next season and seasons to come.”