4 prospects the Steelers must trade up for in second round

Asante Samuel Jr.

One could have made the argument that the Steelers should have taken Greg Newsome II in the first round given their need at corner, and the position should now be squarely a target in the second round. One player that the Steelers showed considerable interest in was Florida St. corner Asante Samuel Jr. He would instantly start in the slot year one and the hope would be that he could move to the outside next year to replace Joe Haden.

Samuel is sticky in man coverage which is a must for a Steelers corner. While he would have been a slight reach in the first round, it seems unlikely that he falls to pick 55. His size concerns may keep some teams away from him, but with so many secondary needs in the NFL, Samuel seems like a lock to go in the top-40. If the Steelers can find a willing trade partner, they should move up for him.

As of now, Cameron Sutton was set to start on the outside and move to the slot in sub-packages. That means either James Pierre or Justin Layne would be penciled in to start on the outside in those packages. While both of those options are intriguing, they would be a major risk to start with little competition. If the team can get a capable slot corner like Samuel via a trade back, it should be a no-brainer.

While day two will have plenty of twists and curves, the Steelers still have plenty of holes to fill. After addressing the running back position in round one, the team needs to be aggressive in filling some of their other needs. These four players would represent great options for the team even if they required a trade-up in order to get.