I have been wondering something about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the impending draft. You know the draft, the one everyone is talking about.
You also know the one --- where people are knocking around the particulars about whether the Steelers should take a quarterback. Also, should they take Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis if one or both are available?
Or, maybe another question people keep debating: Should the Steelers, because they flat-out stunk along the offensive front, look to draft the best available lineman? Heck, with the uncertainty of Stephon Tuitt and the fact that Devin Bush just hasn't been that good, should they contemplate going with a pick on the defensive front or at linebacker?
These are all solid queries, reasonable questions to be sure.
Know what isn't being talked about enough though – how thin this organization is at cornerback and just how much they could use an impact, cover guy on the edge.
Heck, all teams can use an impact, cover guy on the edge but especially a team like the Steelers who employ that 3-3-5 stack of a defense where they just try to out-athlete you.
But I really, honestly keep wondering if the Steelers will shy away from going corner simply because of their own misfortunes in the past.
That is to say, will they be scared off because, in the past, they have been God awful in being able to identify and select the right talent in the back end of the defense?
Artie Burns.
Justin Layne.
Senquez Golson.
Heck – all the way back to Anthony Smith.
These are all men drafted in the third round or better who fizzled out for one reason or another. The most glaring example was Burns, who seemed more capable of running on a 4x100 team than he ever did trying to successfully compete on a football team.
How badly he dissolved still kind of remains a mystery but, in some ways, one would have thought he could have used that burning speed to some degree on the field. He just never did.
Which leads me back here: Because of their own incapability drafting a cornerback in the past, would the Steelers simply punt on drafting one in this draft even if it made the most sense and there was a really good one available at 20th when they had their selection?
Because, from this vantage, I could see a really good player on the board for them --- Florida's Kaiir Elam.
And he is exactly the kind of rangy, long cover corner they need at 6 feet 2, 195 pounds. He loves playing press man and I love the swagger with which he plays.
I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud here, but Elam makes a whole lot of sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers yet I haven't heard many connecting any dots. I really haven't heard many connecting dots between any cornerback and the Steelers in the first round even as it is a glaring position of need.
Who knows, maybe they will be scared off because of their own incompetence of the past. I sure hope not. I wouldn't blame them because the organization has been terrible with evaluating college corner talent but, for me at least, if Elam is there you take a chance on him.
He's the guy I want.
