The scouting report on Cameron Sutton portrays a cornerback who plays with proper technique, and one who knew the responsibilities of every other player on the defense at Tennessee.
"That makes the game easier for you," Sutton, the Steelers' first pick on the third round of April's NFL Draft, said of the latter characteristic on the opening day of rookie minicamp. "When we're all tied to a string out there on the field, all 11 guys, you're able to put guys in different situations to make plays as well as help yourself out.
"You knowing the calls, what to expect out there on the field, studying the film, knowing what the offense is going to give you, it just makes the game slow down for you."
To prove the point, Sutton was asked to describe a couple of position assignments from a hypothetical play he might have seen from Alabama at Tennessee, a toss-sweep to running back Derrick Henry.
Steelers' rookies take the field for rookie minicamp.
T.J. Watt
Head Coach Mike Tomlin
James Conner
James Conner and Joshua Dobbs
T.J. Watt
Nick Schuessler
Keion Adams
James Conner
Keion Adams, Joey Porter and T.J. Watt
Keion Adams
T.J. Watt, T.J. Neal and Demond Tucker
Joshua Dobbs
Keion Adams
T.J. Watt
Reggie Mitchell, Terrish Webb, Aaron Terry, Devonte Johnson, Jacob Hagen, Brian Allen and Mike Hilton
Mike Hilton
T.J. Watt
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Brian Allen
Cameron Sutton and JuJu Smith-Schuster
Dillon Buechel and Joshua Dobbs
T.J. Watt
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Colin Holba
A.J. Hughes
Austin Gearing and Nick Schuessler
Colin Holba
Keion Adams
Brian Allen
Joshua Dobbs
Keion Adams
JuJu Smith-Schuster
General Manager Kevin Colbert
Brian Allen
Joshua Dobbs
T.J. Watt
Rushel Shell
T.J. Watt
Dylan Colucci
Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Rokeem Williams
Aaron Terry
Terrish Webb
Head Coach Mike Tomlin
T.J. Neal
Phazahn Odom
Keith Kelsey and Jerry Olsavsky
Scott Orndoff
Brian Allen, Aaron Terry, T.J. Watt, Akil Blount, Keion Adams and Matt Galambos
Matt Galambos, Austin Gearing, Akil Blount, Keion Adams, and T.J. Watt
JuJu Schuster-Smith
Reggie Mitchell
Joshua Dobbs and Austin Gearing
Brian Allen
Keion Adams
Akil Blount
Keith Kelsey
Matt Galambos
Paul Butler
Matt Galambos
Joshua Dobbs and Wayne Capers
Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Roy Philon
Terrish Webb
Keion Adams
Keion Adams
Vance Settlemire
Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert
JuJu Schuster-Smith
Cameron Sutton
Aaron Terry and Rokeem Williams
Joshua Dobbs
T.J. Neal
Joshua Dobbs
Scott Orndoff
Ethan Cooper
Corey Jones
Matt Galambos
Cameron Sutton
Marcus Tucker
Brian Allen
Vance Settlemire
Akil Blount
The first was that of the back-side defensive end: "He's gotta close, he's gotta find the ball. Depending on the call, he's probably in a 5- (technique) or a 9- (technique). And then once he sees the ball going away he has to flow down to the ball, keep the ball in front, run to the ball, get to the ball."
The second was that of the back-side cornerback: "You're flowing over the top. You're looking for any leakage coming back, cutbacks or boots (bootlegs) out of the toss (action), anything like that. And then just find the ball, get to the ball."
Sutton left the impression he had nine more such responses in him if requested.
"I started a little bit in high school," he said of perfecting that craft. "At Tennessee, my position coach, Willie Martinez, he really helped me establish that and really got me into my preparation."
Sutton was just as detailed while talking cornerback technique as it related to covering a deep ball to wide receiver and No. 2 pick JuJu Smith-Schuster.
"Just tracking the receiver," Sutton said of his intentions. "Getting out of my break good, out of my transition, wedging the receiver to the sideline and just getting my eyes back and finding the ball, locating the ball while it was in the air."
It appears as if Sutton has arrived as advertised.
