The Pittsburgh Steelers brought in CB Asante Samuel Jr. last season as a practice squad player. He then appeared in six games with three starts for the Steelers.

In that small snap count, Samuel snagged his first interception since 2023 and added another pass breakup.

The Steelers evidently thought enough of Samuel to bring him back this offseason. However, they didn’t think so highly of him that they avoided bringing in more cornerback help.

Pittsburgh signed CB Jamel Dean in free agency to start opposite CB Joey Porter Jr. The Steelers then drafted CB Daylen Everette in the third round. That’s on top of having CB Brandin Echols, who played well in the first year of his two-year contract with the team.

Could that lead to Samuel potentially being the odd man out if the opportunity presents itself?

“You look at Samuel, depends on what Everette does in training camp,” beat writer Mark Kaboly said Friday on 93.7 The Fan’s The PM Team. “He could be a guy that you can flip for a pick late in August, last cutdown day.”

The Steelers certainly built some quality depth at the cornerback position. They have Porter and Dean as the primary outside corners. They also have Brandin Echols, who played a lot in the slot. Jalen Ramsey could potentially play in the slot as he moves around in the defensive backfield. Then there’s Asante Samuel Jr. and Daylen Everette.

Obviously, Samuel has NFL experience and production. He’s played in 56 career games with seven interceptions and 38 pass breakups. Unfortunately, he missed the majority of 2024 and 2025 recovering from a neck injury. We saw some positive flashes last season, but can he take that a step further?

As for Everette, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor said he “turned heads” during mandatory minicamp while battling WR DK Metcalf. That will certainly get a third-round rookie noticed. If he continues to play well in training camp and preseason, he’ll get more and more opportunities.

If the Steelers want to trade from a position of strength, Asante Samuel Jr. could be the most logical player. He’s younger and brings experience. However, players like Brandin Echols bring positional versatility and special teams experience.

The Steelers obviously see potential in Daylen Everette. So does Kaboly. He’s talked previously about his belief that Everette will surpass Samuel on the depth chart.

So if the Steelers want to get some additional draft capital in the 2027 NFL Draft, even in the later rounds, perhaps Asante Samuel Jr. will be the guy. Or perhaps the Steelers will stand pat and enjoy having more quality depth at cornerback. After all, you can never have too many good corners in the NFL.