After hitting on cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers could circle back at the position early in the 2024 NFL Draft with Levi Wallace set to hit free agency and Patrick Peterson struggling at cornerback throughout the 2023 season.
That circle back could come in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and feature Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
In NFL.com’s Eric Edholm first mock of the year, he pairs the Steelers with the former Rockets star cornerback at No. 20 overall, giving them a strong duo of Porter and Mitchell moving forward.
“Another Senior Bowl standout who might be too low in this simulation, Mitchell would be an excellent addition to a team that plays a healthy amount of man coverage, which is where the Toledo product could be at his best,” Edholm writes. “With Joey Porter Jr. and Mitchell, the Steelers could combat the excellent receivers of the AFC North more effectively.”
Mitchell is a player in whom the Steelers have shown clear interest early in the draft process, having reportedly met with him at the Senior Bowl in Mobile multiple times. Head coach Mike Tomlin, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, GM Omar Khan and a handful of other Steelers coaches were spotted in Mobile, which isn’t all that much of a surprise considering the Steelers always turn out heavily for the Senior Bowl.
In Mobile, Mitchell weighed in at 6003, 195 pounds, with 31 1/8-inch arms, which is good size for the cornerback position.
In four years at Toledo, Mitchell was a force, recording 123 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack, six interceptions, and one forced fumble. Mitchell’s best season with the Rockets came in the 2022 season, in which he recorded five interceptions, adding two pick-sixes in the process.
The two pick-sixes came against Northern Illinois as part of a monster game from Mitchell. That day, he recorded a whopping four interceptions.
While in Mobile, Mitchell had a great week, performing very well against upper-level talent that he didn’t see regularly in the MAC. Now, all eyes will be on Mitchell’s performance in the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and then his Pro Day at Toledo before the draft.
He’s already bursting onto the scene and is a popular name for not only the Steelers but the rest of the NFL. Adding him to Porter would have the Steelers set for the next half decade at the cornerback position, which would be quite comforting for a defense that has had some issues at the position.
