Steelers: Don’t forget about Senquez Golson

While the Steelers look to aid their struggling secondary through the draft and free agency, cornerback Senquez Golson, a second round pick last year, could also play a large part in the future of Pittsburgh’s defense.

When Senquez Golson was drafted in the 2nd round out of Ole Miss in last year’s draft, skeptics immediately piled up saying that the Steelers had reached for a cornerback that wouldn’t be an effective enough addition to the defense to make any real difference.

Many critiqued him for his size, only standing at 5’9″, and argued that while he could succeed against college players, he would struggle against the bigger and faster wide receivers in the league.

Nonetheless, General Manager Kevin Colbert and company saw something in him, and valued his big play over size. At Ole Miss, Golson was a shut down cornerback that could play against any receiver. While he may not be able to do the exact same in the NFL, they might be able to use him in the slot, but surely in some capacity.

Golson’s rookie campaign was cut short when he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him on the bench for the entire season, and required surgery. It was disappointing to say the least that such a high pick was sidelined for the entire year which definitely didn’t bring the aid to the defense that was needed.

The Steelers have stated that they plan to treat Golson as if he’s a 2016 draft pick, and in a way, he is. Considering he has no playing time in any games, and he doesn’t have the experience that players of his draft class, like Bud Dupree have, he will be in the same exact situation as any rookie selected this spring.

With the re-signing of William Gay and Ross Cockrell, and the hope that the Steelers will acquire some new players, the Steelers are continuously taking steps closer to rebuilding one of the worst secondaries in the league.

Even if Senquez Golson isn’t a super star, he can still become an important facet to the Steelers defense. Having shown plenty of potential throughout his college career, he is still a player that Pittsburgh fans should be excited about.

Senquez Golson has the chance to become another great face in the youth revolution going on in Pittsburgh.