Steelers Draft 2016: Mike Jordan could be Pittsburgh’s next late round steal

The Pittsburgh Steelers pride themselves on finding quality talent in the later rounds of the NFL draft. For the most part, they have been very successful in doing so over many seasons.

Everyone knows the story of 2010 sixth-round selection Antonio Brown and his ascendance to becoming the NFL’s best receiver, but there are many other talented athletes that the Steelers have picked in day three. Chris Kemoeatu, Kelvin Beachum, Vince Williams, William Gay, and the great Brett Keisel have been molded from throwaway draft picks to reliable contributors for the team.

Losing Antwon Blake, the unknown future of Cortez Allen, and the fact that Brandon Boykin may still be signed by another team, leaves the Steelers in a situation where they must address the cornerback position in the draft. The Steelers will most likely select a cornerback early, but it would be wise of them to add more than one to their roster.

The Steelers selected cornerbacks in rounds two and four in 2015’s draft, but have great needs on the defensive line, inside and outside linebacker, and elsewhere in the secondary at safety. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers go about prioritizing their selections in this year’s draft with Steelers’ Nation and experts alike making the prediction that they will address cornerback in the first round.

After losing their sixth round draft selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars when they acquired kicker Josh Scobee, the Steelers were granted a compensatory pick in the sixth round, 220th overall, for losing cornerback Brice McCain in free agency at the start of the 2015 off-season. They can go about fortifying their cornerback depth chart by using the gained selection on a relatively unknown prospect.

Described by Lindy’s Sports draft magazine as “a big fish in a small pond”, this defensive back has been overlooked on many draft boards due to the school he attended. Added to that fact, he didn’t really match up against any premiere talent, so it is a dice roll on how well he will be able to handle transitioning to a professional level of wide receivers.

A two-time first team All-MIAA award winner and finalist out of 5,000 nominees for the 2015 Cliff Harris award, an honor given to the top defensive small school standout in the country, this athlete has all the traits of a starting cornerback in the NFL.

Mike Jordan, defensive back, Missouri Western.

After a redshirt season in 2011, Jordan became an instant upgrade for Missouri Western’s secondary. For the next four years, Jordan served as the Griffons’ top cornerback and totaled 192 tackles (145 solo), 16 interceptions, and an impressive 42 defended passes (12 in 2014 and 17 in 2015).

His ability to accomplish these feats were in no small part due to his impressive physique tailor-made for the cornerback position. Standing six feet tall and weighing in at nearly 200 lbs, Jordan’s height and build give him the ability to make plays on the ball from any angle on the field. Ross Cockrell serves as the only corner back at the six foot mark who has made consistent starts in the Steelers’ secondary.

In early January, Jordan received an invitation to the annual East-West Shrine Game where he was able to put his abilities on display. Division II schools such as Missouri Western are not known for generating NFL caliber talent on a yearly basis, but games like these can help leave a lasting impression on teams when draft weekend finally arrives.

The defensive back made the most of his time during practices and drills during the week, and even picked off a pass from Oregon Ducks’ quarterback, Vernon Adams, later in the week during practice. In the game on January 23rd, Jordan recorded one solo tackle and held his own against receivers from bigger colleges than he attended.

Without invitations to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine, Jordan will have to rely on his performance at Missouri Western’s Pro Day earlier in the week. It is unfortunate that the Steelers were not among the seventeen teams that made the trip to St. Joseph, Missouri, but instead set their sights on potential first round cornerback William Jackson III, at the University of Houston on the same day.

Jordan tallied numbers in the vertical jump (37 1/2″), 225-pound bench press (15 reps), and the broad jump (127″). Compared to Jackson’s final combine tallies in the same events (10 reps, 116″ broad jump), these are very respectable numbers.

This isn’t to insinuate that Jordan is a better cornerback than Jackson, the latter has a first round grade for a reason, but Jordan putting on a great Pro Day helps his draft stock immensely for teams searching for talented cornerbacks when the draft comes down to it’s final rounds. With all the talent that this year’s draft holds in the cornerback position, Jordan could be a steal for Pittsburgh as a sixth round draft pick if he falls to the 220th selection.

Given the chance, Jordan could develop into a cornerback that could hold a starting position with a team in the NFL. His skills are very raw, and he is very much an athlete that has room for development, but if he is given time and can make a final roster he will undoubtedly prove his worth and can make a formidable defensive back in a season or two.

Next: Steelers add linebacker depth with Steven Johnson

Mike Jordan represents the hard work and determination of an athlete that must fight his way through the ranks of adversity to obtain a role as a defensive back in the NFL. He is the caliber of athlete that the Steelers search for to fill their depth charts. Making him the next great threat in their secondary would be a gamble, but could prove to be quite the investment if they are fortunate enough to make him the next in their long line of late round gems.