4 winners and 3 losers from Steelers 2021 NFL draft results

Loser: Secondary versatility

No position lost more talent this offseason than the defensive backs. It was apparent early on that Mike Hilton wasn’t coming back. The slot corner deservedly got paid this year, but he left a hole at the slot option. Later on, Steven Nelson got cut, meaning there is now a gaping hole at outside cornerback. There are a lot of questions with this position that did not get answered at some point in the draft.

The only secondary piece added to the roster was Tre Norwood, a safety out of Oklahoma. While he has a lot of versatility, there were plenty of reasons that he fell to the seventh round. A lack of ideal size and athleticism mixed in with playing on one of the worst defenses in college football meant there are a lot of questions with Norwood.

Sure, he registered five interceptions which means he has some decent ball instincts, but his questions far outweigh his pros. That doesn’t mean he was a bad pick (for a seventh-round pick he is a fine prospect) but he won’t provide any solutions this season likely. The Steelers will be forced to roll with what they already have on the roster at defensive back. This isn’t ideal when the team lost two of their starters.