4 reasons CB Asante Samuel Jr. could be Steelers pick at 24 in NFL Draft

The Steelers hold the 24th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Here’s why we might be overlooking cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. as a potential first-round selection. 

With the clock ticking until the start of the 2021 NFL Draft, Steelers fans are doing their research in an effort to try to figure out Pittsburgh’s first-round pick this year. Unlike in years past, it could be harder to narrow down the selection this April for several reasons.

For starters, the Steelers don’t just have one or two big needs on the team. While most would agree that center and running back are two positions that the team must address early in the NFL Draft, Pittsburgh also has needs at cornerback, tight end, offensive tackle, edge defender, and inside linebacker. Because of this, we can’t just assume they will go one of two directions with the first pick.

The more we look into Pittsburgh’s draft interests from this offseason, the more we see that Florida State cornerback, Asante Samuel Jr., could end up being the Steelers first-round pick in 2021. Here are four reasons why:

Steelers brass showed tons of interest

First, and most importantly, the Steelers showed a significant amount of interest in Samuel during the pre-draft process. In fact, Pittsburgh showed just as much interest in him as they did for running backs, Najee Harris and Travis Etienne. Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert were on hand at Florida State’s Pro Day this offseason to scout the potential first-round pick.

But the interest didn’t stop there. Pittsburgh proceeded to show their interest by spending a virtual visit on Asante Samuel Jr. – likely knowing that he isn’t going to make it back to their second-round pick at 55 overall. From what I gathered, only five players received both a virtual visit and a Pro Day visit from Pittsburgh’s brass this offseason, and Samuel Jr. was one of them.