Not all that long ago, Reese’s Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy raised concerns about the depth of the 2024 NFL Draft class overall due to the impacts of Name, Image, and Likeness at the collegiate ranks, as well as the COVID eligibility issues and players staying long in school.
Now, just ten days from the NFL Draft, things seem to be a bit better with the draft class, at least from Nagy’s perspective.
Appearing on the “Ross Tucker Football” podcast Monday morning, Jim Nagy stated that one particular position in the NFL Draft is rather deep, and it’s not one that has been hyped up throughout the process.
Nagy stated that the cornerback position could see a big run in the third and fourth rounds as teams find starter-level players in that range.
“….I think where we’re sitting right now, three weeks out — two, three weeks out here — that the league feels really good about this corner draft,” Nagy said of the cornerback position in the draft, according to video via YouTube. “There’s some depth there now, man. I mean, up at the top, you got Quinyon Mitchell, who was in our game. He’ll probably be the top. Gotta go he or Terrion Arnold from Alabama.
“But I think you’re gonna see a run in that third and fourth round area. There’s gonna be starting corners sitting there in the fourth round that are good football players.”
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, that’s great news from Nagy’s perspective, considering the need that the Steelers have at the position.
Though Pittsburgh traded for cornerback Donte Jackson this offseason to give second-year pro Joey Porter Jr. a running mate in 2023, the Steelers still need to address the position in a big way moving forward.
Young pieces like Darius Rush and Cory Trice Jr. are certainly intriguing, but the Steelers need to continue adding pieces to the room. As Nagy sees it, the third and fourth rounds are the sweet spot.
In that area, names like Rutgers’ Max Melton, Florida State’s Renardo Green, Louisville’s Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter, Auburn’s D.J. James, Notre Dame’s Cam Hart, and Oregon’s Khyree Jackson are ones that stand out in that area.
The Steelers have shown interest in the likes of Melton, Hart and Jackson at various points throughout the pre-draft process. The Steelers hosted Melton for a pre-draft visit at the South Side facility in Pittsburgh while also having meetings with Hart and Jackson at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. The Steelers also had a formal meeting with Lassiter at the Combine and attended his Pro Day.
While the Steelers have been connected to some of the top names at the position, like Alabama’s Terrion Arnold, Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, Michigan’s Mike Sainristil, Clemson’s Nate Wiggins, and Kentucky’s Andru Phillips, there could be some great value at the position waiting until the third or fourth round to grab a cornerback to pair with Porter and Jackson moving forward.
It will be very interesting to see how the board breaks next week in Detroit and how GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl decide how—and when—to address certain positions.
