CB Shon Stephens, the cousin of Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr., has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler.
Stephens said last week that he thought he was going to meet with the Steelers but didn’t have anything lined up at the time with Pittsburgh or any other team. However, according to Fowler, Stephens has drawn interest from the 49ers and will also meet with the Eagles, per Fowler.
Over the last two seasons at Ferris State, Stephens had 16 interceptions, and in 2022 he played alongside Caleb Murphy an EDGE now with the Tennessee Titans. Stephens also tested really well at Michigan State’s Pro Day, where the Steelers watched him work out. He had 19 reps on the bench press, a 10″ broad jump and 36.5″ vertical leap.
Stephens is a good option for the Steelers in the later rounds or as a priority free agent. The Steelers need to address cornerback and they could look to double-dip at the position in the draft, and taking Stephens in addition to another corner earlier in the draft is a route the Steelers might go. At 6-0 and 180 pounds, Stephens doesn’t have the same size as his cousin, but he’s still shown himself to be a productive corner and he’s a name to monitor throughout the process.
The Steelers took two corners last year with Porter and Cory Trice Jr., but they still don’t have a lot of depth at the position. After trading for Donte Jackson, him and Porter look like the team’s starting outside corners, but the Steelers don’t have an option in the slot and Trice, Darius Rush and Luq Barcoo are the top options on the outside behind Porter and Trice. That’s why doubling up at cornerback makes sense, and given the Steelers are reportedly meeting with Stephens and also saw him work out at Michigan State’s Pro Day, he could be a later-round name.
The Steelers also love their bloodlines, and Stephens being Porter Jr.’s cousin and the nephew of Joey Porter means they’re quite familiar with two members of his family who are likely vouching for him as the Steelers evaluate him throughout the process. Stephens said he was going to spend time training with Porter and Porter Jr. and stay with them in Pittsburgh, so it’s clear that they’re close.
Stephens may also be a little bit underrated as a prospect, as Jonathan Heitritter gave him a fourth-round grade in his draft profile. Stephens will likely be picked later than that, if he gets drafted at all, so he could wind up being a steal for whatever team gets him. With a meeting with the Eagles as well as the Steelers and having spent time with the 49ers though, his draft stock could rise between now and the start of the draft. It’ll be interesting to see where Stephens ends up in less than a month.
