Steelers acquire cornerback from Seahawks to boost secondary

The Steelers are adding some much-needed depth to their secondary ahead of the start of the 2021 season. 

Friday afternoon, the team announced they acquired cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news.

Witherspoon is a fourth-year player who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Over four years and 47 games with the 49ers, Witherspoon had 117 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions and a forced fumble. He signed a one-year contract with the Seahawks in March. Ahkello lost the starting job in Seattle to D.J. Reed in training camp. 

He played college football at Colorado where he lead the nation in pass break ups in 2016 and earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors.

To make space on the 53-man roster, the Steelers released defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux.

Steelers secondary shake up

The Steelers secondary has improved greatly in recent years after adding Joe Haden and Minkah Fitzpatrick, but they suffered multiple losses this offseason. Steven Nelson is now an Eagle, Mike Hilton is now a Bengal, and the Steelers did not exercise the fifth-year option on Terrell Edmunds. 

The result? There are a lot of inexperienced faces in pass protection.

Cameron Sutton is entering his fifth year with the team, but he has just eight starts. The Steelers also brought in Miles Killebrew from Detroit, but he, too, has just four career starts. Former Oklahoma cornerback Tre Norwood made the Steelers 53-man roster, but he is a rookie.

Pittsburgh defense was stout last season

The Steelers defense last year was among the best in many categories last year. They led the NFL in sacks with 56, were third in yards per game with just 305.8, and they forced nine turnovers, tied for third in the pros.

Pittsburgh’s 194.4 passing yards allowed per game was also third in the NFL, just 3.7 yards behind the first-place Los Angeles Rams. 

According to PFF, no defense has allowed fewer completed passes on throws of 20-plus yards downfield than the Steelers (32) since Minkah Fitzpatrick came over from the Miami Dolphins in 2019. 

PFF ranked the Steelers secondary No. 12 in the NFL in early August.