Player: CB Donte Kent
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers drafted CB Donte Kent in the seventh round, and he also brings special teams value and return experience. Kent is capable of playing both inside and outside at cornerback and wears multiple hats on special teams. While that gives him an advantage for the 53-man roster, he is far from a lock sitting here in May.
We finally have the opportunity to conclude our series on the Steelers’ draft picks with Donte Kent. Some roster moves took priority along the way, but now we are wrapping things up. Kent is an interesting prospect, and not one a lot of people had on their radar in advance.
The Central Michigan product went to Harrisburg High School before spending his entire career in the MAC. While there, Donte Kent only recorded two interceptions, and none since 2021. That is not exactly a ringing endorsement for a cornerback, admittedly, and he saw plenty of targets in his coverage.
But let’s establish one thing, in case this isn’t already obvious. The Steelers drafted Donte Kent for Danny Smith, not for Gerald Alexander. That is to say, they are primarily interested in him for special teams, not in the secondary. At least not initially, but he will have a chance to earn a wider role. To begin with, he has to make himself useful in the third phase. That will include joining the punt return line, and he also volunteered for kick returns.
Kent only dipped his toes into the return role last year, returning 16 punts for 217 yards. That’s a healthy 13.6-yard average, and he returned one for a touchdown. But he has no prior college experience returning kicks, even if the NFL’s kickoff today is more like a punt.
The Steelers do have some numbers at cornerback, so Kent isn’t guaranteed to make the roster. They have Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay as their top two, with Brandin Echols and Beanie Bishop Jr. fighting for the slot job. In addition, they have James Pierre and Cory Trice Jr., plus some safeties who are slot-capable. While he certainly has a chance to make the roster, don’t rush out to buy your Donte Kent jersey yet. Unless you’re a family member, of course, in which case you probably already have one.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
