Pittsburgh Steelers sign cornerback Lavert Hill
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed cornerback Lavert Hill, the team announced Monday. They have also waived cornerback Isaiah Dunn and waived/injured cornerback Duke Dawson.
A former Michigan player, Hill most recently played for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL. He appeared in 10 games this past season to record 25 tackles and a pair of interceptions in being named to the All-XFL team.
Hill went undrafted in 2020 following his senior season but later signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on their practice squad. He has also been a member of the practice squads of the Eagles, Cardinals, 49ers and Browns. However, Hill has yet to see any game action in the NFL.
At Michigan, Hill was a first team All-Big Ten honoree during his junior season in 2018. He finished his career with the Wolverines with 56 tackles (seven for loss), six interceptions (including two returned for a touchdown), 20 passes defended and a fumble recovery.
Lavert Hill will now join a Steelers defense that tied for No. 1 in the NFL with 20 interceptions. However, they ranked 18th with 239.2 passing yards allowed per game. Pittsburgh also lost last season’s starting cornerback Cameron Sutton, who led the team with 15 passes defended while also coming away with three interceptions and 43 tackles.
The Steelers added eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson through free agency this offseason to make up for that loss. They also drafted Penn State product Joey Porter Jr., son of former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, with the first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh also brings back cornerback Levi Wallace, who started nine of 15 games in the 2022 season. Wallace ended the year second on the team with 13 passes defended and four interceptions. With those three players, the Steelers have a solid rotation of corners to start 2023.
Adding Hill to that group only serves to increase the depth. With Dawson going down with an undisclosed injury and Dunn getting waived, Hill should have a chance fill in for their roles and make the practice squad.
Pittsburgh is coming off of a 9-8 finish this past season that saw it miss the playoffs. But with the additions it has made this offseason and an extra year for quarterback Kenny Pickett to develop, there’s hope they can get back to the postseason in 2023.
The Steelers have two more preseason games in the coming weeks before kicking off the regular season against 49ers on Sept. 10.