There seemed to be no shortage of possible scenarios when it came to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ plans for replacing Mike Hilton. Four days into training camp, barring something unforeseen, the list of possibilities appears to have been whittled to two.

“It’s a good battle. You have a veteran and a second-ear guy,” senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Teryl Austin said, referring to Arthur Maulet and Antoine Brooks Jr. “Those guys are really starting to turn it on. The first part of (spring organized team activities) and minicamp, it was kind of a, ‘Oh boy, watch out,’ but now they both have really adapted well and started out strongly.

“So I think that’s going to be a really good battle, and I think it will help us as team if both of them are really performing at a high level.”

When camp began last week, it was still a question mark who the Steelers would play in the slot in their nickel package, which they use more than any other personnel grouping. Brooks and Maulet were hardly the only names on that list, one that also included Cameron Sutton.

Signed to a two-year extension in March, Sutton has experience at almost every spot in the secondary. Although he is expected to be an every-down player in 2021, an option for the Steelers was (and still is) to deploy Sutton on the outside in the “base” defense and in the slot in the nickel. But Austin said Sunday the team prefers to keep Sutton on the outside.

The only way that could change is if neither Brooks — a second-year pro drafted in the sixth round last year — nor Maulet — a fifth-year pro on his fifth team — can seize the gig while James Pierre or Justin Layne busts down the proverbial door to take over on the outside, which would push Sutton to the slot.

“He can get ready there with a week’s worth of reps,” Austin said.

Austin added there is no “drop-dead” date to make a decision on the Brooks/Maulet competition.

“I think it’ll shake itself out,” he said. “They usually do. Once you play a couple preseason games and you see him in a competitive situation, one guy usually separates himself from the other. It’ll work itself out. I’m not worried about it.

“And if it doesn’t work out with either one of those, if we had to move Cam back inside, I am not worried about that either.”

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