Now that the 2019 NFL Draft is underway, and the roster heading into the offseason is close to finalized—though always fluid—it’s time to take stock of where the Pittsburgh Steelers stand. Specifically where Steelers players stand individually based on what we have seen happen over the course of the past few months.
A stock evaluation can take a couple of different approaches and I’ll try to make clear my reasonings. In some cases it will be based on more long-term trends, such as an accumulation of offseason activity. In other instances it will be a direct response to something that just happened. So we can see a player more than once over the course of the summer as we head toward training camp.
Player: CB Alexander Myres
Stock Value: Even
I am inclined not to try to make the argument that his stock is up before he has even done anything but rookie college free agent Alexander Myres could be an interesting longshot name to keep an eye on this summer as we get underway in training camp.
The two qualities that jump out in terms of his potential to make an impact on the team are the fact that he is a physical player and had the ability already at the college level to be a contributor on special teams. If he is going to make the 53-man roster as the sixth cornerback, those traits will be more immediately valuable.
At the moment, he is competing alongside Artie Burns, Cameron Sutton, and Brian Allen (in addition to the rest of the field, ostensibly), for what will be no more than two roster spots. Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, and Mike Hilton are projected to open the season as the starting cornerbacks, and rookie third-round pick Justin Layne should certainly be regarded as safe.
I wouldn’t lock into any long-term arrangements just yet if I were any of the other names listed. That includes Sutton, a third-year former third-round pick who has yet to establish himself into any significant role, whether on defense or even special teams.
There hasn’t been much of any talk about him during the spring, regarding either how he performed or where and with whom he was lining up, so there really isn’t anything of substance to talk about when it comes to Myres short tenure with the team to date.
But there is always an opening for a defensive back who can make a difference on special teams. That is how Hilton first got his foot in the door in 2017, after all, by making plays on special teams during the preseason. Myres may have a bit of an edge over others on that front.
