A week and a half from Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be on the clock with the 21st overall pick in the draft. Looking at their roster, there are a couple of different areas that could use depth. One of those is at cornerback, and that’s where CBS Sports’ Mike Renner would like Pittsburgh to go.
Renner spoke to Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller with 93.7 The Fan on Monday. They asked him what his ‘ideal scenario’ would be for Pittsburgh in the first round.
“I think if you’re gonna sign Aaron Rodgers, you’re gonna try to win now,” Renner said. “To me, someone like one of these cornerbacks, like a Jahdae Barron or Will Johnson, falling to you, to me feels like the best win-now scenario, gives you the best chance of, next season, competing for a championship… I don’t have that high of a grade on Shedeur, quite frankly… Him versus the next QB off the board, whoever that is, is not gonna be that big of a difference.”
Many believe the Steelers should aim to land their quarterback of the future above anything else in the draft. Renner is not one of those people, and he has a point. While Pittsburgh needs to eventually find its next franchise quarterback, it is still trying to win now and has aging veterans across the roster. Especially if they sign Aaron Rodgers, improving the 2025 roster rather than planning for the future could make sense.
Aside from cornerback, the defensive line is another position many are clamoring for. Behind Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton, there’s just not much quality depth on the roster. While Heyward turned in a great year in 2024, his age is another reason for the Steelers to take interest in the position.
Renner suggests that they can find a difference-maker if they go the CB route. Renner mentions Jahdae Barron and Will Johnson as two intriguing options.
Since last season ended, no matter how the Steelers’ needs have changed, Barron has been thought of as a fit for Pittsburgh throughout the offseason. He’s a big, strong, physical cornerback who can play both man and zone coverage. One reason the Steelers might be interested in him is his ability to play in the nickel role. Pittsburgh had Beanie Bishop Jr. and Cam Sutton there last year. Bishop had some nice moments, and Brandin Echols can also play the position, but it’s still a spot the Steelers are looking for a long-term answer at.
As for Johnson, he’s an interesting case. Coming into the offseason, most thought of him as a top-five pick. However, injury concerns have started to cause his draft stock to fall. If he does drop to the 21st pick, that’d be great value for Pittsburgh. Johnson is big, moves fluidly for his size, plays the ball well, and anticipates things quickly. With Darius Slay up there in age and tied to Pittsburgh only through 2025, Johnson would make sense.
