Paulson Adebo
While losing Nelson will be a tough blow for the team, this draft is luckily top-heavy with outside cornerbacks. One of the more underrated options is Stanford’s Paulson Adebo. He is good-not-great at most things and has adequate size and athleticism to succeed as an outside cornerback at the NFL level. He is an extremely smart and instinctual player as well, further aiding in the value he would add to the Steelers.
The two major drawbacks for him are his scheme fit and the fact he didn’t play last season. Not playing last season may be a blessing in disguise though, as it should allow Adebo to be available in the second round despite his talent being closer to a first-round prospect. As for his scheme, he is a slightly better zone player given his instincts, but his size and athleticism should allow him to excel in man as well.
Despite those question marks, Adebo could start as early as year one despite being pegged as a second-round prospect. This would be tremendous value given the other needs this team has. If he can showcase enough skills in man coverage, the team shouldn’t bother pulling the trigger on him in the second round. He has the makings of a solid pro and one that should stick in the league for a long time. He may never be a top player at the position, but don’t be surprised if he has the longevity in his career due to his lack of weaknesses.