4 NFL Draft prospects Steelers can’t pass on in first round in April

Steelers should draft Gardner

One of the lesser talked about points of the Steelers defense has been the regression of their secondary. While not as harsh as the run defense, which has really fallen off a cliff, the secondary has clearly been impacted by the loss of Mike Hilton and Steven Nelson. The team has to play more zone which has impacted their total turnovers in a negative way. With Joe Haden likely gone after 2021, a new cornerback will have to be added.

One of the best man-to-man corners in college has been Ahmad Gardner from Cincinnati. Nicknamed “Sauce”, Gardner has led the Bearcats defense to a lot of success this season and should be one of the hotter names at cornerback in this draft class. He has the size and athleticism to be a starter on the outside and his man coverage stats have been impressive in 2020.

I actually had the Steelers targeting Gardner in my last mock, as the value he brings to this secondary would be unmatched. Sure, the team has had horrible luck drafting in the secondary, but that is usually due to them targeting developmental and raw prospects. While Gardner will need to develop as a pro, he would still present a great value for the team. If the Steelers want to restore their secondary to what it was in previous seasons, Gardner would be hard to pass on in 2022.