As we've done in previous years, we're taking a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers under contract for the 2024 season. Who has spent most if not all of the year on the practice squad and what we can expect from them during training camp and (hopefully) the regular season.
Luke Barco/CB San Diego State – 6010, 175 lbs.
Luke Barco starts this year's list. A lanky cornerback and former wide receiver, he quietly cruised around the entire 2023 season with the Steelers (except for a brief two-day absence in some roster shuffling). He was picked up during the offseason, and excelled in training camp with extra ball skills due to his extensive background.
Our camp summary noted the good and bad things about his game. He can make big plays but also give them up, especially after catches and stops in the running game.
“An interesting name given his Falcons' ballplay background — the converted wide receiver caught nine passes in his final year at San Diego State — Barco put together some solid practices. Over the course of three or four days, he had two interceptions and multiple breakups in the endzone .But he has a skinny frame and is not a great tackler. There is desire but he misses easily, shoots low and is unable to finish on a wide receiver screen against Tampa Bay. He lost playing time from there and was passed over by Chris Wilcox by the end of the summer.
As our report indicates, Barco's best moments came in the early and middle parts of camp. Eventually, it seemed like he was fading and losing camp reps to someone like CB Chris Wilcox. But when it came time for Pittsburgh to assemble their coaching staff, Barco got Wilcox's approval and spent the entire year on the practice squad. Injuries have devastated the Steelers' safety but they have remained largely healthy at cornerback, even if Patrick Peterson was moved to safety late in the year. Never having to call up the practice squad, Barco spent his time working with the scout team and practicing every week.
The closest he got happened before the Steelers' Week 8 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With Joey Porter Jr. and others joining in, Barco saw first-team reps during practice. But Porter and his teammates were healthy enough to fit in and Barco never got any promotion.
It's been a long time coming but Barco has NFL experience. He logged 152 defensive snaps, which is not a small number, with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. Funnily enough, he battled playmaker Josiah Scott for playing time, his two teammates again after Scott signed a deal with the Steelers last week .
But the lack of special teams value, no snaps that year, and a wiry frame will make getting back on the field a tough mountain to climb. James Pierre and Levi Wallace are waiting as free agents, though it's reasonable to keep one, and the team doesn't have a clear starting option in front of Porter in 2024. That creates a path for Barco but his limitations may not let him walk out the door.
