(Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)
For being just a seventh-round pick, Steelers defensive back Tre Norwood has shown a ton of capability and potential through six games. The Oklahoma product was all over the field in Sunday night's win over the Seahawks. Norwood had three total tackles, with one of those tackles going for a 4-yard loss on third down, as he sniffed out a screen pass. Norwood also had an impressive tackle on DK Metcalf on third down and a pass breakup, which also came on third down.
It's still early in the process, but the Steelers really might have found a steal in Norwood. The Swiss Army knife, which is how Mike Tomlin described Norwood when the Steelers selected him at 245th overall, played just 15 snaps against the Seahawks, but his impact was certainly felt.
On the season, Norwood has played 179 defensive snaps and 61 special teams snaps. Norwood is predominately used when the Steelers go to their dime package. In Week 1 against the Bills, Norwood played a whopping 68 defensive snaps and logged 50 defensive snaps in Week 2 against the Raiders. His snap total per game has decreased since then, but he still averages about 15 snaps per game.
If Norwood continues to trend in the right direction, he could be a potential starting safety someday. Tomlin raved about his high football IQ when he was drafted and it has certainly shown so far this season, as Norwood has been picking up the defense rather quickly.
The fan base has been highly impressed with Norwood's play, and Pro Football Focus has taken notice as well, as they gave Norwood a 92.9 grading for his Week 6 performance, which was the highest grade among rookie cornerbacks. Norwood is a safety but since he plays in the slot at times in the time package, PFF graded him as a cornerback. Regardless, Norwood has certainly turned heads through six games. The sky's the limit for the jack-of-all- trades defensive back.
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