While the focus has been on the Pittsburgh Steelers addressing the outside cornerback position with a name like Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. or Maryland’s Deonte Banks, there’s also a real need and void in the slot. With Cam Sutton gone, the team’s top slot option is Arthur Maulet, a run-down corner who shouldn’t be on the field in passing situations.
According to Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, the Steelers are eyeing one potential slot option – Louisville’s Kei’Trel Clark. In his latest Pro Day notebook, Pauline says Pittsburgh is one of several teams showing interest. Here’s what he wrote.
“Clark is a natural slot corner, and while I have him graded as a fourth-round prospect, there’s a feeling he may sneak into the back end of Round 3. The 49ers, Bengals, Steelers, and Cardinals are showing a lot of interest in Clark.”
A Shrine Bowl participant, Clark was invited to this year’s Combine. Weighing in at 5102, 181 pounds, he blazed a 4.42 40. Last year at Louisville, he recorded 51 tackles and had two defensive touchdowns, a pick six on his lone INT of the season, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. For his career, he notched 167 tackles, 13.5 of those coming for a loss that highlight his ability to impact the run game, along with five interceptions.
In our pre-draft scouting report, Owen Straley concluded:
“Overall, I came out of Shrine Bowl practice week convinced that Kei’Trel Clark will carve out a long and productive career in the NFL. Having the opportunity to interview him, it was abundantly clear that he was an extremely high-IQ player, able to adequately explain different coverage schemes and his film study habits at a uniquely advanced level for a player of his age.”
Sounds a little Cam Sutton like, to be honest. Straley’s official comp to Clark was Ravens corner Tavon Young.
Clark could be on the Steelers’ radar sometime late in Day Two of the draft, perhaps with that 80th overall pick. Adding two corners, one outside and one inside, is a plausible option for Pittsburgh, which not only needs the help this year but also to build for 2024. Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon, James Pierre, and Maulet are all slated to be free agents after the 2023 season while Patrick Peterson, signed through 2024, will be 34 two years from now.
Check out our full profile on Clark below.
