Steelers’ new secondary will be tested early with Senquez Golson injury

It hasn’t even been a full calendar week into their 2016 training camp, and already the Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with the injury bug that bit them several times in 2015.

On Monday, second-year cornerback Senquez Golson suffered what is feared to be a Lisfranc injury and is likely to miss significant time in as many years. Another unfortunate stroke of bad luck for their 2015 second-rounder has the Steelers’ revamped secondary already facing early challenges.

During the 2015 season, Pittsburgh’s secondary was seen as a weakness, as they were ranked 30th against the pass. Numbers can be deceiving, however. Overall the Steelers defense was improved from 2014, as they only allowed 19.9 points a game and were near the top of the league in sacks, run defense, and red zone takeaways. The secondary wasn’t great, but they got the job done in big moments. Still, there is an urgent need for that unit to improve if Pittsburgh is going to realize their championship expectations.

The Steelers addressed their needs in the secondary during the 2016 draft, selecting cornerback Artie Burns (Miami) and safety Sean Davis (Maryland) with their first two picks. Both guys are expected to compete for significant playing time right away – possibly even starting spots. Davis also has experience at corner.

Returning to the group are veterans William Gay and Mike Mitchell, up-and-comer Ross Cockrell, and question mark Robert Golden. Golson figured to be an important piece of the puzzle this season and was seeing work as the slot corner in camp before his injury. Even without Golson, Pittsburgh’s secondary still has options.

Improvement is the overall goal, and this group is going to be challenged very early to do just that, with or without Golson. There will most likely be a lot of moving parts as the coaching staff looks to find the perfect mix of personnel to give the secondary the best chance to succeed. We could see Burns start from day one opposite Cockrell on the outside, with Gay moving back into the slot (where has excelled throughout his career). We could see Gay and Cockrell stay outside, with Davis manning the slot and Golden starting at strong safety. We could even see a complete rotation of everyone available. There will be no shortage of playing time throughout the secondary depth chart.

Whatever the case may be, Pittsburgh’s secondary woes from a season ago should improve simply because they are younger and faster, with better options at their disposal. It is widely believed that the Steelers will only go as far as the right arm of Ben Roethlisberger takes them, but as the Denver Broncos proved last year – defense still wins championships. If the secondary can show even marginal improvement, Pittsburgh should find themselves right in the middle of the Super Bowl conversation.