Steelers Will Draft a Cornerback in First Round of 2023 NFL Draft

Pittsburgh has the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which is a prime spot for them to land one of the top defensive back prospects in this year's class.

The Steelers miraculously salvaged a winning record out of a 3–7 start in 2022 and now find themselves picking 17th in the 2023 NFL draft.

Betting odds indicate it’s likely that Pittsburgh selects either a cornerback or an offensive lineman with its earliest pick since 2019. SI’s Albert Breer pointed out both positions as areas of need in the Steel City, along with defensive line and outside linebacker.

The Steelers are in good position to address any one of those needs, though Breer noted they are one of the few teams that have explored a trade up, potentially for a tackle to protect 2022 first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Who Will the Steelers Select in the First Round?

Cornerback +100

Offensive Lineman +125

Defensive Lineman +350

Wide Receiver +1800

Safety +3300

Tight End +4000

Linebacker +5000

Running Back +6600

Quarterback +10000

Odds via SI Sportsbook

Pittsburgh signed veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson in free agency and let Cam Sutton walk. Though Peterson is coming off a solid stint in Minnesota, he’s entering his age 33 season, which is why the front office could opt to add a young player at a premium position in the secondary.

That prospect might be Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. or Deonte Banks out of Maryland. There are familial ties with both players: Porter Jr. is the son of former Steelers star linebacker Joey Porter and Banks played with Dino Tomlin, coach Mike Tomlin’s son, in college. Both corners are projected in roughly this range; Breer has Banks headed to Pittsburgh in his mock draft but Conor Orr projects Kansas State’s Julius Brents going 17th.

As for offensive line help, Pittsburgh may need to move up in order to assure it’s in range for one of the top tackles. Breer mused that a potential trade up might be to No. 13 with the Packers. That could put the Steelers in range for Georgia’s Broderick Jones or Darnell Wright from Tennessee. Sacks were an issue for Pickett at times, who went down 27 times across 13 games, and running back Najee Harris (3.8 yards per carry) was by far the most inefficient 1,000-yard rusher.

Defensive line is the only other position with odds shorter than +1000. Pittsburgh could add Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith, Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy, Iowa edge Lukas Van Ness or Iowa State outside linebacker/edge Will McDonald IV to bolster a front seven that already includes former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward.

The current roster construction and the betting odds pretty much narrow down this pick to those three positions: Cornerback, wide receiver and defensive line. Wide receiver would be redundant as would safety and the Steelers are set at tight end, running back and quarterback.

Based on the apparent possibility of a trade up, the added value of Pittsburgh selecting an offensive lineman (+125) as opposed to a cornerback (+100) seems worth chasing and it would be a move that benefits both Pickett and Harris, the team’s most recent first-round choices.

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