Things did not end in the 2024 season the way the Pittsburgh Steelers were hoping they would, especially on the defensive side of the football.
After investing heavily on that side of the ball in free agency and in the draft, the Steelers’ defense came apart in the final five weeks of the season, culminating in an embarrassing loss on the road to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Now, there’s a great deal of questions regarding the Steelers and the highest-paid defense in the NFL moving forward. Some of those will be addressed in the offseason, particularly the Steelers’ need at cornerback. While veteran Donte Jackson set a career high in interceptions with five in 2024, he was a liability in coverage in the second half of the season and was playing through a back injury that popped up time and time again.
Depth behind him wasn’t all that good, either. So, the Steelers need to address cornerback this offseason. Probably the best place to do that is in the 2025 NFL Draft.
There is one prospect who would be “perfect” for the Steelers in the draft class and happens to be a cornerback. For Pro Football Focus’s Jordan Plocher and Josh Liskiewitz, that perfect prospect is East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr.
“Joey Porter Jr. had a bit of a down season, giving up 52 receptions and 653 yards receiving on 84 throws into his coverage in 2024, but making matters worse for the Steelers was the lack of production elsewhere at the position. East Carolina CB Shavon Revel had his own disappointment in 2024 due to tearing his ACL during Week 2,” Plocher and Liskiewitz write. “With that said, his ridiculous 2023 campaign, paired with his 6-foot-3, 193-pound frame should still warrant a first-round selection, and the Steelers have historically been willing to look past injury concerns in favor of premium talent.
“In 2023, he was targeted 49 in coverage and allowed just 20 catches with one interception and 12 forced incompletions.”
Revel is a name that has been tied to the Steelers when discussing future NFL draft fits. Though he’s from a non-Power 4 school in East Carolina, Revel has great length and plays with good physicality, two traits the Steelers covet at cornerback.
He is listed at 6-foot-3, 193 pounds, and was a second-team All-AAC selection in 2023. He missed much of the 2024 season with a torn ACL and remains in the rehab process, though teams will get a good look at him at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas later this month.
Though Revel won’t be competing on the field, it will be a good opportunity for him to meet with teams, get checked out medically and continue to put his name in front of teams and evaluators.
He has all the tools to be that impact cornerback who can handle big-bodied NFL receivers, but it will be a bit of a learning curve going from the AAC to the NFL. But he has the size, strength and speed to make it work, drawing comparisons to Seattle cornerback Tariq Woolen in the process.
In recent years the Steelers have targeted big, long, physical corners, drafting Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. in 2023, and taking fliers on the likes of C.J. Henderson and Kyler McMichael this season on the practice squad. So, Revel with his build, is an easy connection to make for the Steelers.
It will be interesting to see how he recovers and look further into his tape at East Carolina where he was quite good before tearing his ACL.
