The Pittsburgh Steelers addressed their cornerback need in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft with Texas DB Ryan Watts. A versatile defender who can play inside or outside, he isn’t quite the premium pick many expected. After all, the Steelers kicked the tires on some first-round draft picks at the position but turned to the trenches.
Watts enters a cornerback room emptied of many who occupied it just last season, however. In addition to releasing Patrick Peterson, they opted not to re-sign Levi Wallace, James Pierre, or Chandon Sullivan. Of the three, Sullivan remains unsigned, as does Peterson since his February release.
The Steelers have youth in the room with Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice Jr., and Darius Rush. Porter is their top cornerback as a 2023 second-round pick and their lockdown guy. They also traded for veteran Donte Jackson during the offseason, who is a starter. Trice and Rush are untested; however, the former is recovering from a torn ACL. In comes Watts, who’s ready and eager to prove himself.
“I had a lot of trials and tribulations, and I’m just here to finally be a part of a home so I can go ahead and get to work and put the odds to rest,” he told reporters after the Steelers selected him yesterday, via 93.7 The Fan. He added, “I feel like there’s a lot of odds stacked against me like I got a lot to prove. I feel like having that edge and having a lot to prove makes you the most dangerous man in the room, so I’m ready to work.”
Complicating Watts’ opportunity to work is how the Steelers address the cornerback position. I’m sure they hoped to get one earlier in the draft, so they may look to bring in a veteran. We already know they may phone Patrick Peterson, who’s on record as wanting to come back.
If they do sign a veteran, then the room starts to get a bit thick. You have Porter, Jackson, Trice, Rush, and a veteran already at just cornerback. Then, at safety, you have Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Damontae Kazee, Miles Killebrew, and perhaps Trenton Thompson. That’s ten players in total there, typically enough to make up a roster. However, players like Trice, Rush, and Thompson all have to earn their spots just like Watts.
And Watts has the advantage of a special teams background, touting himself as a four-phase contributor. Given their free-agency losses this offseason—including Pierre—I’m sure special teams abilities were at the forefront of their minds with Watts.
Not that they don’t value his potential defensive contributions. After all, he fits the profile of what they’ve been leaning toward with tall cornerbacks. Porter, Trice, Rush, and Watts are all at least 6-2. Jackson is the runt of the litter.
