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Steelers could be sitting on corner
PITTSBURGH - When Bill Cowher took over as the Steelers' head coach in 1992, he inherited a defense that included future Hall of Fame candidate Rod Woodson at cornerback.
Woodson was an impact player that Cowher knew how to utilize. Woodson's outstanding coverage skills took away the opposing team's best receiver, thus making the Steelers' new-fangled zone-blitz defense one that would soon be copied by the rest of the league.
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Though the Steelers have spent a number of high draft picks on cornerbacks in recent years, there is no Woodson-type player among the current group that includes Deshea Townsend, Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, Ricardo Colclough, Anthony Madison and Chidi Iwuoma.
The Steelers have an impact player at safety in Troy Polamalu, and spent a third-round draft pick last year on Anthony Smith, who will battle Ryan Clark for the starting free safety spot. But cornerback remains a position - especially in today's pass-happy NFL - where the Steelers can never have enough talent.
Pittsburgh can improve at cornerback in this weekend's NFL draft. The Steelers pick 15th and have nine selections in the seven-round draft. They have two selections each in the fourth and fifth rounds.
Given that the Steelers are picking in the middle of the first round, there could be two or three top cornerbacks available when they make their first selection. It a high-value pick and one that is too good to pass up.
While there aren't any players in this draft who are considered shut-down cornerbacks like Woodson, there are several who will immediately challenge for starting jobs.
The player who has risen to the top of the cornerback draft boards is someone many local football fans are familiar with, Pitt's Darrelle Revis, an Aliquippa High School graduate.
At 5-11 and 200 pounds, Revis has the size to match up with many of the bigger receivers who have entered the NFL in recent years. And Revis surprised many scouts by running the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at his individual workout, showing he has the speed to run with any receiver in the league.
"He's got a nice body, a nice combination of size and speed," Tomlin said of Revis. "And he's a young guy. He's a true junior. You would imagine that there's a lot of football in front of him. He seems to have his head on straight, he's a sharp young man. He has a lot of things that are attractive about him."
Does that mean the Steelers might draft him in the first round?
"He'd be somebody that I'd be interested in, sure," Tomlin said. "He's definitely a viable guy. I don't think his name is too far down on any of the 32 boards."
Nor is Michigan cornerback Leon Hall.
The 5-11, 193-pound Hall is considered to be on par with Revis. He, too, could be available when the Steelers make their pick.
Arkansas' Chris Houston, Texas' Aaron Ross and California's Daymeion Hughes are other cornerbackss who will receive first-round consideration, but aren't as highly touted as Revis and Hall.
One of the most intriguing players at the position is UNLV's Eric Wright.
Wright is immensely talented, having started as a redshirt freshman at USC. But he got into trouble with the law while and transferred to UNLV.
Given the league's crackdown on players who run afoul of the law, Wright might fall than his talented suggests.
Later in the draft, the Steelers could look at Fresno State's Marcus McCauley or Virginia's Marcus Hamilton.
This year's safety class is top-heavy with free safeties as LSU's LaRon Landry, Florida's Reggie Nelson and Miami's Brandon Merriweather are considered possible first-rounders.
The top-rated strong safety, Texas' Michael Griffin, could be a late first-round pick.
Two safeties who might interest the Steelers are Clemson's C.J. Gaddis and Wisconsin's Roderick Rogers.
