The Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick could go a few different directions. Indeed, they could take a wide receiver, offensive tackle, or center, but cornerback is a genuine possibility, too. Tracking the movements and interest for the Steelers, cornerback seems like a very real possibility.
For one, let’s start out with the most recent visitors, Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins. Wiggins checks all of the boxes from the team for their interest level, too. The team met with him formally at the NFL Combine. Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin were at his pro day, and they took him out to dinner the night before his pro day. Lastly, Wiggins is now in Pittsburgh for an official 30 visit. In other words, he checks every box the Steelers have long held regarding their first-round picks.
The Steelers have also expressed significant interest in Alabama cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden thinks cornerback is certainly in play for Pittsburgh at 20th overall.
“Man, if either (Terrion) or (Quinyon) are there at (pick 20), there’s nothing to think about,” McFadden said on CBS Sports’ With the First Pick Podcast. “If either one of those guys are there for Pittsburgh at 20, we go get one of those guys. Whoever is available. I don’t think that happens, I don’t think there’s a scenario.”
McFadden doesn’t envision Arnold or Mitchell being on the board, but the Steelers do have a great history of having players fall to them.
“You saw how the draft just kind of fell into Pittsburgh’s lap last year? With JP Jr. just sitting in the second round. It’s something about the Steelers where just the perfect player falls into their lap. And fits everything they would like a Steeler to do on the football field,” McFadden said. “I don’t think that happens. But if it did, whoever it is, Terrion or Quinyon, we’re running to the podium with the first-round selection of Pittsburgh, you’re taking one of these corners. And you figure out the center and tackle situation later on.”
The value at cornerback makes sense for the Steelers, even with pressing needs at wide receiver and center. It seems like a lot of legwork is being put into this cornerback class, so all of these guys above are considered top candidates. The question would just become what they would do to address other spots. An active post-draft free agency period or maybe another move coming down the pipeline before the draft could change that all.