Welcome to our annual Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Profiles! Each of these articles will feature all of the positions in the game of football and more importantly, the top-rated players at these positions and those that the Steelers may be interested in! This one features the Cornerbacks. The Steelers have a significant need at the position as currently only Donte Jackson and Joey Porter Jr have starting experience. Cory Trice spent last year on IR and Darius Rush played a few snaps as a backup after being signed from the Chiefs practice squad. There are no top-end corners in this draft, but there should be plenty of talent to be found between the late first and mid-third rounds. Since this is a fairly deep corner class, we are going to highlight the players the Steelers have shown some specific interest in during the pre-draft process.
Quinyon Mitchell – Toledo, 6’0″ 196 lbs
After an impressive display at the Senior Bowl, Mitchell solidified himself as the top corner in this draft class. While he doesn’t have the overall dominance of a Sauce Gardner that would warrant a Top 10 pick, he will likely hear his name called in the first half of the first round. Mitchell tested off-the-charts athletically with a 9.80 RAS and ran a 4.33 40-yard dash. Mitchell’s best traits are his speed and burst, allowing him to play in a variety of coverages and close gaps quickly.
Projection: Mid-teens (12th-18th overall pick).
Terrion Arnold – Alabama, 5’11” 189 lbs
Versatility is the name of the game with Terrion Arnold. He will likely be the second corner off the board. Arnold has the skills to play either inside in the slot or out on the boundary. While he is a little lacking in size, he makes up for it in short-area quickness, agility, and explosiveness. As a redshirt sophomore, Arnold is also one of the younger players in this draft class. In just two years, he put together an impressive statistical profile with 20 PBUs and 6 INTs. He was first-team All-SEC last year and is a decent tackler. Arnold fits the mold of what the Steelers like in a defensive player – young, athletic, and versatile. The full slate of Steelers brass including Khan, Tomlin, and Austin attended the Alabama Pro Day and reportedly dined with Arnold and fellow CB Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Projection: Mid-to-late 1st round
Nate Wiggins – Clemson 6’1″ 173 lbs
From an athletic standpoint, Wiggins has all of the traits you could possibly want in a cornerback. He is tall and long with blazing speed – running a blistering 4.28 40 at the Combine. However, the concern with Wiggins is his injury history. He missed two games last season then pulled out of the Combine after his 40 with a hip/groin injury. Wiggins’ speed certainly shows up on tape – he can run with any receiver and can make up ground in a hurry. Additionally, his two pick-sixes and blocked field goal show he can be a threat in all phases of the game. Given his lighter weight, he does have the frame to add some weight. If a team is willing to gamble on his injury history and lighter frame, Wiggins should hear his name called in the first 25 picks. The Steelers brought him in for a pre-draft visit and did have the full slate of brass attend his Pro Day.
Projection: Mid-to-late 1st round
Cooper DeJean – Iowa, 6’0″ 202 lbs
DeJean is a corner/safety hybrid who can play all over the defensive backfield. He is an athletic freak who recovered from a broken fibula that shortened his junior year to run a 4.43 40 at Iowa’s Pro Day this week. In a relatively weak safety class, teams will have to evaluate where in the defensive backfield they want to use DeJean’s skills. He certainly has first round athleticism and his position flexibility plus impressive Pro Day after injury should lock him in. As a corner he can be a bit tight when he has to flip his hips and run with a receiver. DeJean projects better as a zone defender (either corner or safety) with elite ball skills. Over the last two seasons he had 7 interceptions, 13 pass breakups and returned 3 picks for scores. He also handled some punt return duties for Iowa and was tenacious on coverage teams. He is an aggressive defender not afraid to stick his nose in against the run.
Projection: 1st round
Kool-Aid McKinstry – Alabama, 5’11” 199 lbs
McKinstry doesn’t have the size or speed of Nate Wiggins nor the production of Terrion Arnold, but he is a solid, consistent corner. He is hailed for his poise, intelligence, and leadership on defense. McKinstry’s best trait is his short-area quickness but does not have the elite long speed of some of the other corners in this class. Nevertheless, his 4.47 40 is a respectable number and he has the intelligence to identify route combinations and match his man. McKinstry is probably a better man to man corner than zone corner. The full slate of Steelers brass including Khan, Tomlin, and Austin attended the Alabama Pro Day and reportedly dined with Arnold and fellow CB Terrion Arnold.
Projection: Borderline 1st/2nd round
Max Melton – Rutgers, 5’11” 187 lbs
The Steelers brought Melton in for a pre-draft visit this past week. Melton’s best traits are his straight-line speed and explosiveness. He posted elite numbers in the vertical and broad jumps as well as running a 4.39 40 at the Combine. He comes from a Rutgers family where both parents and his brother (who plays for the Packers) all were Scarlet Knights. Melton has a nose for the ball with multiple INTs in each of the last 3 seasons (8 on his career). He was also a contributor on special teams with 4 blocked kicks in his career. He is a hard hitter who arrives with bad intentions to either knock the ball away or force a fumble. Given his elite burst, he projects best as a read-and-react zone defender who can play either in the slot or outside. Melton has the long speed to run down the field but doesn’t have the wiggle or agility to carry a lot of speed through breaks.
Projection: Day 2
Mike Sainristil – Michigan, 5’9″ 182 lbs
Sainristil came to Michigan as a wide receiver and converted to a corner after his third season. With just two years under his belt on the defensive side of the ball he is still a bit raw but was recognized on the All-Big Ten teams (Honorable Mention, Second Team) in each of the last two seasons. He still has a knack for the ball with 6 INTs (taking two back to the house) this past season. He was a captain on the Michigan defense who is not afraid of physicality. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in heart, toughness, and tenacity. Sainristil projects as an ideal slot corner. He is feisty in coverage with elite burst, explosiveness, and agility. He has long speed that is good enough to carry receivers down the field and crashes hard against the run. Given his lack of size he may fall a little into Day 2, but could step in right away and lock down the slot corner role.
Projection: Day 2
Ennis Rakestraw – Missouri, 5’11” 183 lbs
Other than a meeting at the Combine, the Steelers haven’t put in a ton of time on Rakestraw. His best trait is his toughness and physicality. On the flip side, the concern (similar to Joey Porter Jr) is that he can be overly physical down the field and get penalized. He is not overly fast within the corner class (just a 4.51 40) and only had 1 interception in his college career. Given his size, he may be best suited as a slot corner, especially with his physicality and willingness to dive in against the run.
Projection: Day 2
Kamari Lassiter – Georgia, 5’11” 186 lbs
On tape, Lassiter looks like a solid all-around corner who has played in both man and zone schemes. He plays with the tenacity and physicality to attack press man situations and stick his nose in against the run. He posted elite numbers in the shuttle and 3-cone agility drills. However, the big knock on Lassiter is his long speed. He ran a dreadfully slow 4.64 40 and the lack of long speed shows up on tape. He uses his physicality and hands to try to slow down receivers so he can stay with them, but can also get grabby down the field when he gets beat. Lassiter’s best fit in the Pros is likely either in the slot or in a press man situation with safety help over the top where he doesn’t have to run stride for stride with a receiver down the field.
Projection: Late Day 2 or Early Day 3
Andru Phillips – Kentucky, 5’11” 190 lbs
The Steelers brought Phillips in for a pre-draft visit and also got a good look at him during the Senior Bowl. Phillips just cracked Kentucky’s starting lineup last season and is still a bit raw. He played a lot of zone coverage in college but tested well athletically at the Combine. He had a solid 40 and excellent jumping drills. While Phillips’ coverage skills need work, his best role might be as a slot corner or box safety. He is aggressive and flies to the ball but can over-run tackles sometimes. Overall, Phillips would be a developmental prospect that needs to work on his coverage techniques but has the desire and tenacity to carve out a role, especially on special teams.
Projection: Late Day 2 or Early Day 3
MJ Devonshire – Pitt, 5’11” 186 lbs
Aliquippa High School product MJ Devonshire started his collegiate career at Kentucky than transferred back locally to Pitt. He was a standout kick returner in high school who tied the statewide record for most kicks returned for scores in a season (8, one shy of the national record). At Pitt, he displayed a similar nose for the end zone, returning 3 of his 8 career interceptions for touchdowns as well as one punt return score. Devonshire’s special teams and return abilities add to his potential repertoire in the pros. He ran a good 40 and had solid jumping drills at the combine. Add to that his long arms (6’6″ wingspan on a 5’11 frame) give him the ability to play taller than his size would indicate. His NFL future may be more at free safety where he can read and react to what is in front of him and track the ball for interceptions. Overall, Devonshire will likely hear his name called on the 3rd day of the draft and his return skills will offer teams something on special teams immediately while he continues to develop as a defensive back.
Projection: Day 3
Other names to watch in later rounds:
Caelen Carson (Wake Forest), Mikey Victor (Alabama State), Storm Duck (Louisville), Jarrian Jones (Florida State), Cam Hart (Notre Dame)
