Rookie Tre Norwood is developing into key member of Steelers' secondary
Tre Norwood has been a quick learner in his rookie season, and that's one of the reasons the Steelers have been confident in using him in key spots. Joe Sargent/Getty ImagesOct 23, 2021
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Brooke PryorESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH -- The early reviews of Pittsburgh Steelers rookie seventh-rounder Tre Norwood were graphic.Positive, but graphic.
Special teams coordinator Danny Smith, in a way only the fast-talking, gum-chomping coach can do, used colorful language to describe the qualities that made Norwood a standout before the season even began.
“I put him in some tough situations in front of people, in front of his teammates in practice,” Smith said in early September. “He never blinked. He never blinked. He really didn’t. I told him to cut his eyelids off because that boy don’t blink.”
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“Tre has been part of a group that has provided big-time versatility for us,” coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday. “We've been working hard to find a division of labor there at the early portions of the season. Mike Hilton (who is now with the Bengals) was a significant guy in some of that stuff here, and so we've got a bunch of guys doing a bunch of things.
“[Norwood is] a part of that group. We're trying to highlight the individual skill sets. It provides an opportunity for a lot of those guys to make plays, and he's one of them.”
In Sunday’s win against the Seattle Seahawks, Norwood was responsible for three key stops on third downs.
His tackle on DK Metcalf came in the opening minutes of the first quarter when he recognized the receiver running a mesh route and Norwood made a read on quarterback Geno Smith. Once he saw the ball come out of Smith’s hands, he made a break on it and tackled Metcalf for a gain of just 2 yards.
Later in the first quarter, Norwood again anticipated Smith looking for receiver Tyler Lockett on a mesh route and made another well-timed break on the ball, preventing Lockett from making the grab on third down.
“It’s just study habits,” Norwood said Monday. “That’s something I’ve always prided myself on, especially starting back in college [at Oklahoma]. Just making sure that whenever I’m learning something new, that I pick it up in the quickest way possible. Apply it to myself, the best way that I can learn. I feel like that’s what helps me out a lot, taking what the coaching point is, or whatever needs to be learned, and breaking it down into terms that fit best with me.”
Those habits are what first grabbed Smith’s attention during training camp. A notoriously tough evaluator, Smith praised Norwood for his ability to retain information and react quickly during special teams quizzes in the preseason.
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Norwood started his first NFL game Week 1 in Buffalo, playing 68 snaps against the Bills. Since then, his playing time decreased as the Steelers tinkered with the right combination in the secondary to fill Hilton’s responsibilities, but his impact increased. Against the Seahawks, Norwood played just 15 snaps, but he had three key tackles and one pass defensed to show for it.
“Tre’s been doing well,” secondary coach Teryl Austin said. “He gets a little better with more experience, really sharp player, so you don’t see him making the same mistakes twice, which is good. He’s really been coming in in the dime personnel because we like his pass savvy and his route-recognition skills.”
Because of Norwood’s development and an increased comfort in using slot corner Arthur Maulet and corner James Pierre, the Steelers frequently deploy their nickel and dime packages. Through six weeks, the Steelers have five defensive backs on 45.6% of plays and six defensive backs on 26.1%.
Norwood is used most often in the dime packages, playing 58.2% of his snaps in the subpackage. The other 41.8% of his snaps have come when the Steelers go into nickel.
“I think he’s become a good player and a good fit for us because of how smart he is, what he does. He’s got good underneath coverage skills, got good route recognition, awareness,” Austin said. “He’s a tough kid, and that’s why he’s able to carve out that niche early with us, and it’ll keep growing.”
How Tre Norwood has shown a tremendous amount of growth early in his Steelers career
The Steelers’ rookie 7th round pick has not just contributed, he has become a major player on the team’s defense.By Jeff.Hartman@BnGBlitz Oct 20, 2021, 12:30pm EDT
The Pittsburgh Steelers know how to draft talent, and their 2021 NFL Draft class illustrates that perfectly. Of their nine drafted players, take a look at the players who have some sort of role within the team’s 53-man roster.
RB Najee Harris (1st Round) *
TE Pat Freiermuth (2nd Round)
C Kendrick Green (3rd Round) *
OT Dan Moore Jr. (4th Round) *
DT Isaiahh Loudermilk (5th Round)
CB Tre Norwood (7th Round)
P Pressley Harvin III (7th Round) *
* - Starter
When you look at the aforementioned list, it is hard not to see how young this Steelers team is at specific positions. For many they see players like Kendrick Green as playing just because there is no one better on the current roster. That argument can be made, but not every rookie falls into that category.
A perfect example of a player who hasn’t just filled a vacancy, but exceeded expectation is Tre Norwood. I still remember watching Mike Tomlin introduce the team’s 7th round pick out of Oklahoma, labeling Norwood a “Swiss Army Knife”.
This isn’t the first time Steelers fans have heard Tomlin given someone this moniker. He uses it often for players who can play more than one position, and can do it well. Sure, it is easy to pump up a 7th round pick, but how often do they actually pan out and become contributors?
Not very often.
But Norwood has been a mainstay on the Steelers’ defense in sub packages. He has played Mike Hilton’s old role in the nickel at times, primarily in Week 1 vs. the Buffalo Bills, but also has slid back to the dime role when the team adds the extra defensive back in that specific sub package.
Norwood as done well, even though his statistics don’t necessarily reflect it.
Games: 6
Games Started: 1
Combined Tackles: 15
Solo Tackles: 14
Tackle For Loss: 1
Pass Defense: 1
Norwood has had some good games throughout his young professional career, but his play vs. the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6 on Sunday Night Football was one fans will remember. Why? Because on critical third down plays, it was Norwood who was coming up and making the stop.
“I think he had three big stops.” Devin Bush said of Norwood after the overtime win vs. Seattle. “He’s growing, as you can see, making plays, showing up. He’s going to definitely be a key piece we need moving down the road.”
Norwood will be a big part of the Steelers’ defense down the stretch, and his growth has been noticeable not just to players, but to Mike Tomlin as well.
“Tre has been part of a group that has provided big-time versatility for us, man.” Tomlin said after the Week 6 game. “We’ve been working hard to find a division of labor there at the early portions of the season. Mike Hilton was a significant guy in some of that stuff here, and so we’ve got a bunch of guys doing a bunch of things. He’s a part of that group. We’re trying to highlight the individual skillsets. It provides an opportunity for a lot of those guys to make plays and he’s one of them. We’re appreciative of the efforts, and hopefully he, and we collectively, continue to grow as we push forward. But nights like tonight, you grow from it. You grow from it in a big way, and I’m appreciative of his efforts.”
There are times when a rookie is thrust into a position they aren’t ready for, and you can see the game flying by them. You never get that feeling from Norwood. He has been lauded as much for his intelligence and work ethic as he has for his versatility. That is a dynamic matchup and a reason why Norwood is a huge bright spot for the defense heading into the Week 7 bye week, and beyond.
Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they heading into a much needed bye week.
https://www.steelcityunderground.com/2021/10/23/watch-steelers-norwood-shut-down-seahawks/
