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After a flurry of prospects were called off the board on Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves with the 52nd and 84th overall picks in Friday’s slate. For the Steelers, the first-round results were a bit a mixed bag. They saw lots of names that were high on their wish list get called before they were expected, yet they had their pick of the first quarterback of the entire draft. After using the 20th overall selection on quarterback Kenny Pickett, the Steelers are turning the page to address other needs within the depth chart. Therefore, who could we see the Steelers call in the second and third rounds?
Will The Steelers Have Any Receivers Left to Select on Day 2? Still 4 Great Ones Left
Coby Bryant, Cornerback, Cincinnati, Projected 3rd Round
Bryant’s college counterpart, Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner was called by the New York Jets as the fourth overall selection. Bryant and Gardner created one of the best secondaries in all of college football in 2021 and have been recognized as such. Bryant was recognized as the best cornerback in the nation last year and was awarded the Jim Thorpe Award. So why is he still on the board heading into Day 2? Simply enough, that is just how deep this year’s cornerback class is. For the Steelers, even with the re-signing of Ahkello Witherspoon and free agent signing of Levi Wallace, reliable depth is still needed in the secondary. Bryant would fit well on the outside in competing with Witherspoon, Wallace, and even Cam Sutton for the starting spot. I have Bryant as a solid third-round pick, but if Friday is anything like Thursday, don’t be surprised if he sneaks in before the Steelers’ 84th overall spot.
Steelers’ CB prospect Coby Bryant makes an interception (Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports)
Kyler Gordon, Cornerback, Washington, Projected 2nd Round
Some fans were surprised on Thursday night when the Steelers passed over stud-cornerback Trent McDuffie in favor of Pickett, only for McDuffie to be called directly after to the Kansas City Chiefs. Luckily for the Steelers however, they may have a redemption pick waiting by grabbing another Washington cornerback in the first half of Friday. Gordon checks all the Steelers boxes in what they need in a potentially-starting cornerback and he’d be an instant plug-and-play on defense. He has a blue-collar, Pittsburgh attitude in his playstyle and isn’t afraid of contact. The Steelers have lacked a solid press cornerback for the past several years and Gordon would bring that edge to the position. As of where we sit currently, consider Gordon a second-round selection on Friday.
Kyler Gordon reels in a pick on the sideline (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
Perrion Winfrey, Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma, Projected 3rd Round
We are all well aware of the Steelers’ 2021 defensive line woes. With the absence of Stephon Tuitt in the middle, combined with injuries to Tyson Alualu and Chris Wormley, the defensive line wasn’t able to hold for much of the season. This led to the Steelers having one of the worst rush defenses in the league and Cam Heyward being forced to ‘hold the line’ in the trenches. With that being said, I anticipate the Steelers looking to address this in the Friday rounds. Sure, they grabbed a solid depth piece in Isaiahh Loudermilk in the fifth round in 2021, but they need young, boarder-line starting potential along the defensive front. In addition, Tuitt still hasn’t committed himself to returning to the team for the 2022 season, so the Steelers can’t necessarily rely on him being available. But Winfrey is going to be available to them on Friday. He’s a massive force in the middle and can pair well with Heyward in he trenches. He has some coaching up to do on technique and pass rushing abilities, but as a third-round defensive tackle, he’s exactly what the Steelers need.
Perrion Winfrey shows he is a force on defense (Josh Callaway – Sports Illustrated on MSN.com)
Jaquan Brisker, Safety, Penn State, Projected 2nd Round
Although the Steelers were able to re-sign veteran safety Terrell Edmunds heading into the draft, the strong safety position still seems in flux for the future in Pittsburgh. Not only is Edmunds’ new deal a one-year contract, but currently there is very little depth at the safety position. Although there is still decent talent remaining on the board heading into Friday, this safety class is still jockeying for position as to when they’ll be called. But one prospect who may fall to the Steelers at the 52nd overall spot is Brisker out of Penn State. He’s a tough, physical defender who lines up best in the box. He’s scrappy and plays with a high motor and has a fairly high ceiling compared to other safety prospects. He played through significant shoulder pain for much of the 2021 season and is a finisher when tackling the ball carrier. The Steelers will be likely looking at Brisker hard if he’s there for them in the second round.
Jaquan Brisker makes a stop vs. Auburn in 2021 (Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com)
Leo Chenal, Inside Linebacker, Wisconsin, Projected 3rd Round
In addition to the defensive line, the Steelers’ inside linebacker corps was another weak spot on defense in 2021. We saw Devin Bush come back from his ACL injury in 2020 and free agent Joe Schobert try his best to fit into their scheme. As such, Bush seemed gun-shy in penetrating the line and making physical plays and Schobert had troubles adapting to the defense. If we fast forward to the 2022 offseason, Schobert was released and the Steelers were able to sign free-agent Myles Jack from the Jacksonville Jaguars. But although Bush is still poised to regain his starting role in 2022, the Steelers have yet to sign his fifth-year option, and they only have until May 2nd to do so. With them not having much in the way of depth behind Jack and Bush in the way of Robert Spillane, Marcus Allen, and Buddy Johnson, the Steelers are looking to do what they do best and draft a linebacker. Not to mention, they have a trend of picking defenders from Wisconsin, and Chenal fits the Steelers’ bill in what they look for in a physical, blue-collar linebacker. In terms of where he falls however, he’s still sitting on the cusp between the third and fourth rounds. But seeing has there are 54 spots between the Steelers’ third and fourth selections, they can’t bank on Chenal being available to them by their first turn on Saturday.
Leo Chenal makes a sack vs. Purdue (Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Who are you keeping an eye on in the second and third rounds? Who do you want to see called by the Steelers on defense? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Will The Steelers Have Any Receivers Left to Select on Day 2? Still 4 Great Ones Left
Here are five names on defense the Steelers will keep an eye on today:
Coby Bryant, Cornerback, Cincinnati, Projected 3rd Round
Bryant’s college counterpart, Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner was called by the New York Jets as the fourth overall selection. Bryant and Gardner created one of the best secondaries in all of college football in 2021 and have been recognized as such. Bryant was recognized as the best cornerback in the nation last year and was awarded the Jim Thorpe Award. So why is he still on the board heading into Day 2? Simply enough, that is just how deep this year’s cornerback class is. For the Steelers, even with the re-signing of Ahkello Witherspoon and free agent signing of Levi Wallace, reliable depth is still needed in the secondary. Bryant would fit well on the outside in competing with Witherspoon, Wallace, and even Cam Sutton for the starting spot. I have Bryant as a solid third-round pick, but if Friday is anything like Thursday, don’t be surprised if he sneaks in before the Steelers’ 84th overall spot.
Steelers’ CB prospect Coby Bryant makes an interception (Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports)
Kyler Gordon, Cornerback, Washington, Projected 2nd Round
Some fans were surprised on Thursday night when the Steelers passed over stud-cornerback Trent McDuffie in favor of Pickett, only for McDuffie to be called directly after to the Kansas City Chiefs. Luckily for the Steelers however, they may have a redemption pick waiting by grabbing another Washington cornerback in the first half of Friday. Gordon checks all the Steelers boxes in what they need in a potentially-starting cornerback and he’d be an instant plug-and-play on defense. He has a blue-collar, Pittsburgh attitude in his playstyle and isn’t afraid of contact. The Steelers have lacked a solid press cornerback for the past several years and Gordon would bring that edge to the position. As of where we sit currently, consider Gordon a second-round selection on Friday.
Kyler Gordon reels in a pick on the sideline (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
Perrion Winfrey, Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma, Projected 3rd Round
We are all well aware of the Steelers’ 2021 defensive line woes. With the absence of Stephon Tuitt in the middle, combined with injuries to Tyson Alualu and Chris Wormley, the defensive line wasn’t able to hold for much of the season. This led to the Steelers having one of the worst rush defenses in the league and Cam Heyward being forced to ‘hold the line’ in the trenches. With that being said, I anticipate the Steelers looking to address this in the Friday rounds. Sure, they grabbed a solid depth piece in Isaiahh Loudermilk in the fifth round in 2021, but they need young, boarder-line starting potential along the defensive front. In addition, Tuitt still hasn’t committed himself to returning to the team for the 2022 season, so the Steelers can’t necessarily rely on him being available. But Winfrey is going to be available to them on Friday. He’s a massive force in the middle and can pair well with Heyward in he trenches. He has some coaching up to do on technique and pass rushing abilities, but as a third-round defensive tackle, he’s exactly what the Steelers need.
Perrion Winfrey shows he is a force on defense (Josh Callaway – Sports Illustrated on MSN.com)
Jaquan Brisker, Safety, Penn State, Projected 2nd Round
Although the Steelers were able to re-sign veteran safety Terrell Edmunds heading into the draft, the strong safety position still seems in flux for the future in Pittsburgh. Not only is Edmunds’ new deal a one-year contract, but currently there is very little depth at the safety position. Although there is still decent talent remaining on the board heading into Friday, this safety class is still jockeying for position as to when they’ll be called. But one prospect who may fall to the Steelers at the 52nd overall spot is Brisker out of Penn State. He’s a tough, physical defender who lines up best in the box. He’s scrappy and plays with a high motor and has a fairly high ceiling compared to other safety prospects. He played through significant shoulder pain for much of the 2021 season and is a finisher when tackling the ball carrier. The Steelers will be likely looking at Brisker hard if he’s there for them in the second round.
Jaquan Brisker makes a stop vs. Auburn in 2021 (Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com)
Leo Chenal, Inside Linebacker, Wisconsin, Projected 3rd Round
In addition to the defensive line, the Steelers’ inside linebacker corps was another weak spot on defense in 2021. We saw Devin Bush come back from his ACL injury in 2020 and free agent Joe Schobert try his best to fit into their scheme. As such, Bush seemed gun-shy in penetrating the line and making physical plays and Schobert had troubles adapting to the defense. If we fast forward to the 2022 offseason, Schobert was released and the Steelers were able to sign free-agent Myles Jack from the Jacksonville Jaguars. But although Bush is still poised to regain his starting role in 2022, the Steelers have yet to sign his fifth-year option, and they only have until May 2nd to do so. With them not having much in the way of depth behind Jack and Bush in the way of Robert Spillane, Marcus Allen, and Buddy Johnson, the Steelers are looking to do what they do best and draft a linebacker. Not to mention, they have a trend of picking defenders from Wisconsin, and Chenal fits the Steelers’ bill in what they look for in a physical, blue-collar linebacker. In terms of where he falls however, he’s still sitting on the cusp between the third and fourth rounds. But seeing has there are 54 spots between the Steelers’ third and fourth selections, they can’t bank on Chenal being available to them by their first turn on Saturday.
Leo Chenal makes a sack vs. Purdue (Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Who are you keeping an eye on in the second and third rounds? Who do you want to see called by the Steelers on defense? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
