Buy Or Sell: The Steelers should have drafted CB T.J. Tampa instead of OL Mason McCormick.
Explanation: The Steelers drafted more offensive linemen than they needed, arguably, Mason McCormick slated for depth duty. While they valued him highly and view him as potentially a future starter, they had other needs, like cornerback. And T.J. Tampa is a cornerback viewed as having slid in the draft and who fits Pittsburgh’s mold.
Buy:
The Steelers lost four cornerbacks from last season and so far have only added one. Yes, they traded for presumed starter Donte Jackson, but he’s not a long-term answer—potentially a rental. You can argue the cornerbacks now gone are addition by subtraction, but you still need depth.
All they landed in the draft in the secondary is Ryan Watts. Billed as a cornerback, many believe his ultimate NFL position is safety, so that doesn’t help. T.J. Tampa is a player with a lot of talent who we projected as a Day-Two fit.
Even with Joey Porter Jr. and Jackson, who is the Steelers’ third cornerback? Cory Trice Jr. and his imploding knee? Darius Rush, the guy who’s on his third team since last year’s draft? Mason McCormick might be a nice player, but contextually, he was a luxury, while Tampa was a need. And possibly the better player.
Sell:
T.J. Tampa would be just another in the mix of Day-Three unproven cornerbacks. Both Darius Rush and Cory Trice Jr. graded higher than team took them last year. It happens to a lot of players every year, because there are more talents per round than picks. And he’s coming in as a rookie.
On top of that, he doesn’t have a lot of experience in the slot, and that’s where the Steelers need somebody. Behind Porter and Jackson, Tampa wouldn’t see the field anyway. In contrast, Mason McCormick could be one snap away from playing.
The Steelers drafted McCormick because they saw an opportunity to get a future starter on Day 3. You can’t always count on that, and they know Nate Herbig and James Daniels are free agents in 2025. They rightly prioritized the offensive line in the past two years, and this was a part of that.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they likely need a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL Draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
