4 players who could tempt Steelers to go defense in round one of the NFL Draft
By Tommy Jaggi
Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Of the players on this list, Caleb Farley probably has the least chance of falling to pick 24 this year. Though his technique still needs a little work, he’s one of the top-two cornerbacks in this draft class and he projects as a long-time starter in the NFL with Pro Bowl upside. If there was a way that he ended up falling in the draft, the Steelers would no doubt be all of him.
In addition to being an impressive athlete, Farley checks all of the boxes for a Steelers first-round pick. He’s physical with good range and speed and he’s only a redshirt sophomore. Tomlin has deep roots with Virginia Tech, and they drafted Terrell Edmunds in the first round just a few years ago.
Though Pittsburgh doesn’t exactly have the best track record at drafting and developing cornerbacks, they are never picking high enough to land a talent like Farley. The Steelers could be losing Mike Hilton and Cameron Sutton this offseason, while Joe Haden could be a cap casualty due to his absurdly large cap number for the 2021 season. Though Farley is very unlikely to fall this far due to his talent and the value of the cornerback position, it would be impossible for Pittsburgh to pass on him at 24.