Steelers Reportedly Have Three Cornerbacks at the Top of Their Big Board

I’ve been told in recent days that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Big Board is heavy with cornerbacks in the top five rather than the outside linebacker position as many have assumed.

The source I spoke with tells me that there are three cornerbacks and just one edge rusher currently in the top five of the Steelers’ War Room Draft Board. The players in question were not revealed at this time for obvious reasons as the draft beings Thursday night.

If you read the tea leaves, they tell me that at pick #22, the Steelers don’t have a whole lot of confidence in the outside linebackers that could be available. Obviously if one they have ranked highly falls, then the scenario changes.

I think it also is an indication that they will not trade up. If they coveted any one particular edge rusher so much more than another then I believe that would be reflected in their top five on the Big Board.

While Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin didn’t utter any names in today’s press conference I’m held to no such standard. I have to believe that one of the corners in the top five is Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest. Of all the names that have been mocked to the Steelers, his has become the most common.

The other one that seems to be in a lot of mock drafts especially at nfl.com is Marcus Peters, the talented yet troubled corner from Washington. I thought Kevin Colbert, while speaking in generalities, was directly speaking about Peters today when it came to players’ character issue.

Who the other cornerback is much more of a question for me. It could be any number of guys depending on what Keith Butler really does want to do with the defense. Jalen Collins of LSU, and the two Florida State corners Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams could also be possibilities.

As for the one edge rusher in their top five, it’s probably not one of the top guys like Dante Fowler or Vic Beasley. They’ll be long gone before the draft gets to the Steelers at 22.

Could it be Alvin “Bud” Dupree, Owamagbe Odighizuwa of UCLA or maybe even troubled Nebraska Cornhusker Randy Gregory?

As much as both Colbert and Mike Tomlin spoke today about character issues being portrayed wrongly because of social media and the like, you have to wonder if maybe Gregory isn’t the guy?

That could be problematic since the Steelers really can’t afford a miss here.

I’m told the fifth player on the Steelers Big Board is an offensive tackle. The options there would have to include T.J. Clemmings of Pitt, La’el Collins of LSU and D.J. Humphries of Florida.

Common sense would tell us that Andrus Peat and Brandon Scherff would already be gone by 22 therefore they aren’t really in the conversation.

We must keep in mind however that anything is possible in the draft.