In 2012, Josh Victorian was the pleasant surprise of training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a late addition subtracted from the New England Patriots. In 2013, Isaiah Green is playing Victorian's role, and now he's taking Victorian's spot.
According to the Steelers recent media guide in lieu of the upcoming preseason matchup between the Steelers and the Washington Redskins on Monday night, Isaiah Green has passed Josh Victorian on the right side of the defensive depth chart, behind starter Ike Taylor and backup William Gay.
Green has stood above his competition since joining the Steelers by picking off passes in OTAs and training camp. After executing excellent coverage against the New York Giants in the first preseason game, Green is officially on the rise.
Victorian entered camp with the advantage of having experience in the Steelers defensive system. Last season, Victorian surpasses Curtis Brown and DeMarcus Van Dyke on the depth chart as the secondary struggled with Taylor, Keenan Lewis and Cortez Allen dealing with lower leg injuries. While he maintained close coverage against the Giants as well, he allowed completions on most of the targets which came his way.
The Steelers are looking for defensive backs who can uphold the standard which has been established by a league-leading pass defense. With Van Dyke, Brown and rookie Terry Hawthorne dealing with injuries in camp, Green is attempting to make the most of his opportunities.
Considering he is moving up and not down on the depth chart, he is doing something right.
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