The Pittsburgh Steelers always listed Ryan Watts as only a defensive back and acknowledged his flexibility from the outset. Thus far, however, it appears that they view the rookie as a safety with slot capability rather than a cornerback. He worked at safety throughout OTAs, and that trend continues in training camp. That’s how Mike DeFabo of The Athletic sees it, as well.
“As he transitions into the NFL, the Steelers have decided to turn Watts into a safety, where he won’t be asked to be as sticky in coverage and will have more opportunities in the box to use his physicality to his advantage”, he wrote recently.