Former NFL offensive lineman and current analyst Ross Tucker along with CBS Sports HQ analyst Emory Hunt broke down the AFC North’s selections in the 2023 NFL Draft on their College Draft podcast, and Hunt had some interesting comments about seventh-round pick Cory Trice Jr. While Trice has gotten rave reviews as a corner so far, Hunt believes Trice has positional flexibility.
“I think he has a future as a sam strong safety or one of those box defenders that is a corner but plays like a linebacker. He’s got some positional flexibility in my opinion, I thought that was a really good, savvy pick by Pittsburgh,” Hunt said.
With the way Pittsburgh’s current corner depth chart is shaking out, it might be interesting for the team to move Trice around and see what he can do at other positions if they want him to get on the field immediately. But frankly, if he’s playing well at cornerback, they should keep him at corner.
While there is depth, and Trice is at a minimum fourth on the depth chart behind Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace and Joey Porter Jr., he’s reportedly been a standout during OTAs and minicamp, and he only fell to the seventh round due to medicals. There’s a path for him to play pretty early in his rookie season as a cornerback, and while he might not get starter-level snaps, he’s still going to see the field.
Versatility is a good thing to have, and down the line Pittsburgh could try and use Trice at a few different spots to expand his game. But when the guy’s getting adjusted to life in the NFL and the speed of the game at a whole new level, keeping him where he’s comfortable and playing well makes the most sense.
But the fact that there’s a chance for versatility down the line is certainly a bonus. Trice is a big corner, and he could definitely be someone who slots in at safety and moves around a bit when Pittsburgh gets creative with their defense. But for his development, I think he should just focus on playing corner and developing at that position.
I’m excited for Trice’s development and think he could end up being a pretty big steal in the seventh round. Pittsburgh’s struggled when it comes to drafting and developing corners, and having two guys in one draft in Trice and Porter who could become potential future starters would be a huge boon for Pittsburgh.
Their development is going to be a key hallmark for how well the Steelers drafted in 2023, and I have high hopes both will become solid starters down the line.
