3 other players Steelers could pursue after landing Melvin Ingram

CB Gareon Conley

So far, Gareon Conley has been one of the biggest NFL busts over the past five years. Conley was the former 24th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft (ahead of players like T.J. Watt and Tre’Davius White). Unfortunately, he hasn’t come close to meeting expectations. To tell you just how bad he was, the Raiders gave up on him just 6 games into his 3rd NFL season, as he was traded to the Texans.

Conley started 6 of 8 games for Houston in 2019. He was in a heated battle with Lonnie Johnson to be the starter again in 2020 before arthroscopic ankle surgery claimed his season. Now the former first-round pick is looking to make a comeback and prove his worth.

Though his play has been downright dismal at times early in his NFL career, Conley is a big cornerback with terrific athleticism. Conley was Malik Hooker’s old teammate at Ohio State, where the cornerback reeled in 6 interceptions of his own for the Buckeyes.

For Pittsburgh, Conley certainly wouldn’t be guaranteed a big role with the team; rather, he would battle it out with other young cornerbacks Justin Layne and James Pierre for positioning on the depth chart. Conley may never turn out to be anything special, but he has the traits and upside to potentially turn things around.