Welcome back to our yearly “what the Pittsburgh Steelers look for” NFL Draft studies. For multiple reasons, things will look a little different this year. Of course, there’s a new GM in Omar Khan, the first of our study, and it’s never quite clear if the Steelers’ “rules” will stay the same between him and Assistant GM Andy Weidl, responsible for setting the draft board. In time, perhaps we’ll wipe the Kevin Colbert era slate clean and have new criteria. Still, Mike Tomlin remains prominent in the war room and Khan has stated that the Steelers’ draft strategy will only have tweaks, not mega shifts.
There’s one other change too. In past years, I focused largely on Combine workout numbers, only using Pro Days for objective testing, things like vertical and broad jump where two scouts wouldn’t have two different numbers like they could with a 40 time or three-cone. But given the rise in players simply opting out of Combine testing, especially the cones (short shuttle and three-cone), I am including those numbers in our criteria. I’m still only looking at prospects invited to the Combine but if they didn’t test at Indy, I will consider their Pro Day figures. It isn’t ideal, there’s more gray area here, but it’s the smart thing to do.
We’ll kick things off with one position the Steelers seem guaranteed to draft – cornerback. A spot Pittsburgh’s done plenty of homework on throughout the pre-draft process so it makes sense to begin with it. Below is a list of all the cornerbacks drafted in the Mike Tomlin era.
2019: JUSTIN LAYNE
Height: 6016
Weight: 192
Arm Length: 33″
Hand Size: 9 1/4″
40 Time: 4.51
Vertical: 37.5″
Broad Jump: 11’2″
Short Shuttle: 4.09
Three-Cone: 6.90
2017: CAM SUTTON
Height: 5110
Weight: 188
Arm Length: 30″
Hand Size: 8 1/4″
40 Time: 4.52
Vertical: 34″
Broad Jump: 10’0″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three-Cone: 6.81
BRIAN ALLEN
Height: 6027
Weight: 215
Arm Length: 34″
Hand Size: 10″
40 Time: 4.43
Vertical: 38″
Broad Jump: 10’7″
Short Shuttle: 4.34
Three-Cone: 6.64
2016: ARTIE BURNS
Height: 5117
Weight: 193
Arm Length: 33 1/4″
Hand Size: 9 1/2″
40 Time: 4.46
Vertical: 33″
Broad Jump: 10’4″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three-Cone: N/A
2015: SENQUEZ GOLSON
Height: 5085
Weight: 176
Arm Length: 29 3/4″
Hand Size: 9 3/8″
40 Time: 4.46
Vertical: 33.5″
Broad Jump: 10’0″
Short Shuttle: 4.20
Three-Cone: 6.81
DORAN GRANT
Height: 5102
Weight: 200
Arm Length: 30 1/4″
Hand Size: 9 3/8″
40 Time: 4.44
Vertical: 35.5″
Broad Jump: 10’5″
Short Shuttle: 4.33
Three-Cone: N/A
2014: SHAQ RICHARDSON
Height: 6001
Weight: 194
Arm Length: 32″
Hand Size: N/A
40 Time: N/A
Vertical: 38.5″
Broad Jump: 10’7″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three-Cone: N/A
2013: TERRY HAWTHORNE
Height: 5116
Weight: 195
Arm Length: 31 1/4″
Hand Size: 8 7/8″
40 Time: 4.44
Vertical: 35.5″
Broad Jump: 9’8″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three-Cone: N/A
2012: TERRENCE FREDERICK
Height: 5100
Weight: 187
Arm Length: 31 1/8″
Hand Size: 9 1/8″
40 Time: 4.54
Vertical: 35″
Broad Jump: 10’1″
Short Shuttle: 4.03
Three-Cone: 6.59
2011: CURTIS BROWN
Height: 5115
Weight: 185
Arm Length: 32 1/4″
Hand Size: 9 1/2″
40 Time: 4.54
Vertical: 39.5″
Broad Jump: 10’6″
Short Shuttle: 4.00
Three-Cone: 6.59
CORTEZ ALLEN
Height: 6012
Weight: 197
Arm Length: 32 1/4″
Hand Size: 8 5/8″
40 Time: 4.53
Vertical: 37.5″
Broad Jump: 10’9″
Short Shuttle: 4.01
Three-Cone: 6.76
2010: CREZDON BUTLER
Height: 5116
Weight: 191
Arm Length: 32″
Hand Size: 8 3/4″
40 Time: 4.49
Vertical: 39.5″
Broad Jump: 10’1″
Short Shuttle: 4.23
Three-Cone: 7.08
2009: KEENAN LEWIS
Height: 6007
Weight: 208
Arm Length: 32 3/4″
Hand Size: 9 3/4″
40 Time: 4.55
Vertical: 38.5″
Broad Jump: 10’10”
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three-Cone: N/A
JOE BURNETT
Height: 5093
Weight: 192
Arm Length: N/A
Hand Size: N/A
40 Time: 4.62
Vertical: 35.5″
Broad Jump: 9’10”
Short Shuttle: 4.25
Three-Cone: 6.68
2007: WILLIAM GAY
Height: 5101
Weight: 187
Arm Length: 31″
Hand Size: 9 1/2″
40 Time: N/A
Vertical: 38.5″
Broad Jump: 9’10”
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three-Cone: N/A
Interestingly, the Steelers haven’t drafted a true cornerback in the last three classes (Tre Norwood is being counted as a safety). That’s certain to change for next year but for 2023, our criteria remains unchanged. It is as follows:
Height 5’10″+ (12 of 14)
185+ pounds (13 of 14)
31+ inch arms (10 of 13)
4.55 40 or lower (11 of 12)
33+ inch vertical (14 of 14)
10’0″+ inch broad (11 of 14)
4.35 short shuttle (6 of 7)
6.90 three cone (6 of 7)
Only two cornerbacks this year checked every one of those eight boxes. They are:
| Name/School | Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 Time | Vert | Broad | SS | 3 Cone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Brents/Kansas State | 6026 | 198 | 34 | 4.53 | 41.5 | 11’6″ | 4.05 | 6.63 |
| Cory Trice/Purdue | 6033 | 206 | 32 3/8 | 4.47 | 35.5 | 11’0″ | 4.06 | 6.70 |
Brents is no surprise with a freaky-good workout. The Steelers have shown interest, bringing him in for a pre-draft visit. He could be an option at #32. Trice is a more unheralded name. But with a big frame he may get drafted earlier than people think. I wouldn’t be shocked to see his name off the board late on Day Two.
Seven players were one box away from checking them all. They’re included below.
ONE BOX AWAY
Alex Austin/Oregon State: Three Cone (7.06)
Mehki Garner/LSU: Three Cone (6.94)
Nic Jones/Ball State: Three Cone (DNP)
Kyu Blu Kelly/Stanford: Three Cone (6.93)
Riley Moss/Iowa: Length (30 inches)
Terell Smith/Minnesota: Three Cone (7.02)
Carrington Valentine/Kentucky: Three Cone (DNP)
Six of the seven missed in the three-cone, either due to missing the cutoff or simply not doing it. Blu Kelly is one of the more recognizable names of the week with a great Senior Bowl performance and Tom Mead is a fan of Smith. Valentine has flown under the radar while Moss, the only player to miss due to non three-cone reasons (he had a 4.15 SS, 6.60 three-cone) had a Pro Day Dinner with Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan ahead of his Hawkeyes Pro Day. He could go in the fourth round.
If you’re wondering, several top prospects aren’t here due to lack of testing. Christian Gonzalez, Joey Porter Jr., and Deonte Banks all aren’t listed here because none of them participated in the short shuttle or three-cone. But all three checked every other box.
Let me know what position you want us to filter through next and I’ll try to get that posted in a few days.
