When it comes to the NFL Draft, if there’s one thing the Pittsburgh Steelers love, it’s bloodlines. If you’re the son or brother of someone who played on Sundays, the Steelers have you on their radar. That story plays out in ESPN’s 2025 too-early mock draft, giving Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison to the Steelers 13th overall.
Off the top, fans won’t be happy about the Steelers picking so high. Having the 13th selection would be Pittsburgh’s highest choice, excluding trade-ups, since 2004 when the team took QB Ben Roethlisberger 11th overall. Author Matt Miller didn’t project the order himself, leaning on ESPN’s Power Index to project 2024 standings.
Pivoting from pick to player, Morrison could make for a lockdown tandem opposite Joey Porter Jr.
“Cornerback and wide receiver were equally considered here, but the former seemed like the more pressing issue,” Miller wrote. “Pittsburgh has Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson and Cameron Sutton there, but both Jackson and Sutton are short-term solutions; the Steelers really need a long-term, high-upside running mate for Porter. Morrison has big-time talent with nine career interceptions over two seasons of starting, and his 13 pass breakups in 2023 tied for eighth in the league.”
Morrison is listed with good size at 6-0, 190, and his production is excellent. Hyper-productive the last two years, he picked off six passes in 2022 and followed that up with three more in 2023. He also showed he can make an impact behind the line of scrimmage, adding 3.5 tackles for a loss last season. Here’s one great rep against Marvin Harrison Jr., a top five pick and first receiver off the board in April’s draft.
As for bloodlines, Morrison’s father Darryl was a sixth-round pick of the Washington Redskins in 1993. A defensive back like his son, he spent four seasons in the league, making 28 starts, recording 165 official tackles with one interception. The Morrison family is full of athletes. Along with Benjamin, two sisters are college gymnasts, another plays volleyball, and a brother plays football at Arizona.
As Miller notes, the Steelers added CB Donte Jackson in the Diontae Johnson trade. But signed to a one-year deal, he’s a stopgap. Pairing Morrison with Porter could give Pittsburgh an elite cornerback duo, a position that wouldn’t have to be addressed for years.
Look for a breakdown of Morrison later this summer as Jonathan Heitritter rolls through his annual summer scouting series. And you can bet Pittsburgh will keep close tabs on the school over the next few years considering Ryan Clark’s son currently plays there while Jerome Bettis, Ike Taylor, and Plaxico Burress’ kids will be part of the 2025 roster.
In Miller’s mock, the New York Giants trade up to select Georgia QB Carson Beck No. 1 overall. The first non-quarterback is Michigan corner Will Johnson going third to the Denver Broncos. For a receiver-needy team like Pittsburgh, notable players mocked in Round 1 include Missouri’s Luther Burden III, Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka.
