If you look at mock drafts ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, most people assume the Pittsburgh Steelers will take an offensive lineman. It makes sense. Last year’s starting LT Dan Moore Jr. was not good at protecting the quarterback. The Steelers could draft a left tackle and keep last year’s first-round pick Broderick Jones at right tackle. Or they could draft a right tackle and flip Jones back to his natural left tackle spot. But what if the Steelers go a different direction, say cornerback?
Jason La Canfora thinks that could be a very real possibility. He discussed that option on Wednesday’s episode of the In The Huddle podcast. He does think the offensive line is still very much in play for the Steelers’ first-round pick, but it’s not the only position.
“I would say, they’ve drafted a lot of corners over the years. They’ve never had the depth at corner they felt like they should have,” La Canfora said. “If there’s a corner who they think is close to best of breed, who stands out to them above some of these other position groups, it wouldn’t shock me… It’s kind of in their DNA to draft corners.”
The Steelers do have a genuine need at cornerback. They spent a second-round pick on Joey Porter Jr. in last year’s draft, and he’s proven worthy of that selection. However, the depth isn’t there as La Canfora said. They acquired Donte Jackson in the WR Diontae Johnson trade with the Carolina Panthers, but there isn’t much beyond him. The Steelers released Patrick Peterson earlier this offseason and Levi Wallace is an unrestricted free agent.
So there is definitely a pressing need there, and the Steelers have been doing their homework on corners in the draft. They’ve had six corners in for pre-draft visits including potential first-round pick Nate Wiggins from Clemson. They also reportedly had dinner with Alabama corners Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry while in town for Alabama’s Pro Day.
Then there’s been the plentiful Pro Day appearances where they’ve gotten eyes on plenty more cornerback prospects. So there is plenty of evidence that the Steelers are doing their homework on the cornerback class. Whether they’ll invest a first-round pick is up in the air, but the potential certainly exists.
“I just feel like they’ve been trying to rebuild their secondary,” La Canfora said. “Patrick Peterson played a lot of football for them last year. I don’t know that that was the plan, but it happened, right? You know, I feel like when they get into their nickel and dime packages, there’s been some soft spots there. So I wouldn’t discount them taking a DB.”
The problem is that the Steelers currently have plenty of issues on their roster. Starting corner opposite Porter and depth at the position is certainly one. Offensive line in terms of both tackle and center is another. The team is also in a similar situation at wide receiver as they are at cornerback. They do not have a starter opposite George Pickens due to trading Johnson. Then the depth is iffy even after signing wide receivers like Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins this offseason.
La Canfora did address that the Steelers could draft a wide receiver but expects them to look much more heavily at the trade market before the draft.
