2015 Steelers NFL Mock Draft: 7 Rounds v9.0

Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

There would be little debate that Marcus Peters would be the first cornerback off the board in this April’s draft had he not been kicked off of Washington’s football team last fall. Unfortunately for Peters, his off-field antics led to him being dismissed and his draft stock remains in flux.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in desperate need of depth in addition to talent at the cornerback position, and a player of the former Husky’s caliber would be a strong addition to their roster from a talent perspective.

Peters would bring good size, athletic ability, speed, fluid hips, terrific ball-skills, an air of aggressiveness and an ability to excel in press coverage to the Steelers’ secondary if he is selected. None of the aforementioned traits are in high supply on the defensive side of the ball in Pittsburgh at the moment. A three-year starter for the Huskies, Peters racked up 129 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 35 PDs and 11 INTs during his career in Seattle.

I understand that Peters’ off-field issues scare people. Moreover, the former Husky is sometimes too “handsy” down the field and can be over-aggressive when he is asked to play zone. All concerns are definitely valid. Nevertheless, the last time I checked, I didn’t see many people complaining when the front office selected Chris Rainey, Alameda Ta’amu or continued to employ James Harrison in recent years.

Whether the team drafts Peters depends largely on three factors:

1. Does Kevin Colbert have the stones to pick him?

2. Is there an environment in place to keep a player with Peters’ off-field issues in line?

3. Will there be other cornerbacks the coaching staff and scouts prefer on the board?

Peters would represent tremendous value at number 22 overall, and I for one would love to see the Steelers try to fix their issues at cornerback with a player with his skill-set. Who knows? Maybe the front office will realize the sting now that Brice McCain is gone, William Gay is a free agent next spring, Antwon Blake is more of a special teams contributor and Cortez Allen is coming off of a disastrous season?

Next: Round 2