Steelers Cornerback Options in Each Round of NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers can add depth in the secondary throughout the NFL Draft.

The whole premise of this exercise will be to detail my favorite cornerback options for each of the Pittsburgh Steelers' current draft picks. It's entirely possible that Omar Khan elects to be more flexible moving up or down the board than his predecessor, but this gives you an idea of what kind of prospect the Steelers could acquire in each round.

This class is strong up top, but it's also unique because of how deep the position group is to the point where you can find potential future starters into day three of the NFL Draft. In order to keep this as realistic as possible, these names will be comprised between the consensus board and my own evaluations and rankings. 

Round 1, Pick 17: Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State)

Pittsburgh hasn't been shy about showing interest in Porter throughout the process, from a formal visit at the Combine to them sending the house to the Penn State Pro Day and a local visit to top it all off. Of course, he is the son of Steelers legend Joey Porter, but it's his game on the field that warrants this selection more than anything else. 

As a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions' defense, Porter's excelled on the boundary in part to his unbelievable length, which he uses to engulf opposing wide receivers in press-man coverage. Porter took another step forward in 2022 as he was much less grabby, which allowed him to reduce the number of penalty flags thrown his way. Porter checks essentially every single box that the Steelers have looked for in their previous top draft picks, and his combination of size, athleticism, and functional length offers supreme upside as a potential CB1 in the future.

Round 2, Pick 32: Emmanuel Forbes (Mississippi State)

After leading the NFL in interceptions in 2022, Pittsburgh has been known in recent years to put a heavy emphasis on playmaking ability. As the NCAA leader in pick sixes, Emmanuel Forbes certainly has a penchant for taking the football away before running it in for scores. Over the course of his career, he's matched up with some of the best receivers in the country while playing in the SEC and for the most part, he's been more than up to the task. 

Forbes is extremely slight, only weighing about 166 pounds, but he doesn't let his frame dictate his level of aggressiveness, as he certainly checks the physicality box on his scouting report. One of his bigger strengths is that he's unbelievably fast, with some of the best recovery speed in the entire class allowing him to make up for mistakes at the line of scrimmage. The ball skills are enticing, but Forbes's speed would give the Pittsburgh secondary something that they lack at the moment, a playmaker on the boundary capable of running stride for stride with even the fastest speed demons. 

Round 2, Pick 49: Tyrique Stevenson (Miami)

If you love big, physical cornerbacks who can also offer plus straight-line speed, then Stevenson is your kind of prospect. After originally starting his career with Georgia, Stevenson transferred to Miami for his final two collegiate seasons and was invited to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Pittsburgh's brass got to see him up close and in person throughout the week before bringing him in for a top-30 visit, with Ike Taylor making the trip to check him out at his pro day.

The beautiful part of his game is that while he's physical with long arms, Stevenson's feet are always patient at the line of scrimmage, which then allows him to stay in receivers' hip pockets throughout the route. He offers the type of build to go toe-to-toe with the bigger power-forward types of contested catch makers at the next level. If the Steelers elect to prioritize other positions, such as tackle, with their first-round selection, Stevenson could be a name that they circle back to in hopes of injecting some youth into their secondary. 

Round 3, Pick 80: Clark Phillips III (Utah)

I find myself straying just a bit from the consensus board on this one because cornerback is a stopwatch position where we often see teams prioritize size and athleticism, neither of which are particular strengths of Clark Phillips III. However, the film he put on display over the past several seasons states pretty clearly that he's quite deserving of being selected at this point on draft weekend. Similar to Forbes, Phillips has a knack for making plays on the football at the catch point, racking up eight interceptions and 13 pass breakups over the past two seasons. 

Phillips is twitched up and uses his route recognition skills to routinely break in front of throws. He's played mostly on the boundary over the course of his career, but his size and lack of length will likely push him toward a move to the slot in the near future. This move will suit him just fine as Phillips has the change of direction skills and physical mentality needed to survive inside at the next level. Like many of these prospects, the Steelers met with him formally at the NFL Combine, and while he didn't blow anyone away during testing, Phillips has the goods to overcome the odds, just like he has during his football career to date.

Round 4, Pick 120: Darius Rush (South Carolina)

His teammate Cam Smith has gotten more love throughout the process, but Rush put himself squarely on the map after an impressive Senior Bowl week in front of NFL teams. If the Steelers wait a little longer to add a long, fast cornerback with press-man capabilities, Rush is the ideal candidate in this class and would likely go higher than this spot in a normal year where the position isn't as loaded with quality prospects. Rush is a converted receiver who's only been playing the position since his redshirt-freshman year but quickly acclimated himself to the defensive side of the ball, breaking up 14 passes over the past two seasons. 

From a technique perspective, Rush can certainly improve, but he offers plenty of recovery speed and competes like crazy at the catch point. He certainly has the traits to develop into a productive starting cornerback down the line, but in the meantime, Rush's biggest contribution might come on special teams, where he's been extremely productive running down punts in college. Rush was one of the reported top-30 visitors earlier this month, and honestly if Pittsburgh wanted to take a shot on Rush a round earlier than this, it's a decision that shouldn't take long to get behind.

Round 7, Pick 241: Carrington Valentine (Kentucky)

At this point in the NFL Draft, you're just searching for traits that pop up on tape, and Carrington Valentine's profile offers some intrigue. He has the ideal size and length that teams typically look for in their boundary cornerbacks, and he ran a blazing 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day in Lexington. The name of Valentine's game is pretty simple: aggressiveness, and there are plenty of press-man reps that tell that story. 

Valentine is a good mover with impressive click and close ability. After his pro day, it certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see him come off of the board earlier than this but at this point in the draft, this would be a steal. Grabbing another developmental cornerback with plus tools has to feel tempting for a Steelers organization that doesn't have a ton of youth in the pipeline. If they get the chance to double dip at the position, they should absolutely consider it. 

Round 7, Pick 251: Arquon Bush (Cincinnati) 

The Cincinnati Bearcats' defense produced two NFL cornerbacks in last year's class with Sauce Gardner coming home with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The elder statesman in the room has been Arquon Bush, the team's pesky slot cornerback, that was given the opportunity to move outside following his teammate's departures last spring. Essentially a starter for the past four seasons, Bush brings ball skills and inside/outside versatility to the room.

He doesn't provide the type of traits and theoretical upside as a guy like Valentine, but he's a smart player who maximizes his physical gifts. It's likely that he would be brought in to compete for a practice squad spot during training camp, but Bush plays with an edge and isn't afraid to put his face in the fan. It should also be noted that Bush reportedly battled through some injuries during the 2022 season, but he still exits the program as one of their most productive defensive backs in school history. 

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