The 25 most likely Steelers defensive targets in 2022 draft

Steelers defensive prospect #5

Starting off the top five is actually a later-round prospect. With the team extremely likely to draft a quarterback early, the odds of them taking a defender in the first naturally isn’t as high. That means finding quality defenders that can develop into starters late in the draft is vital. A name like Mario Goodrich out of Clemson could be just the prospect that they need.

While not an elite player by any means, Goodrich finally had his chance to show that he was a capable starter. Playing next to Booth on the outside, he excelled in both man and zone coverage as well as stopping the run. He didn’t test like an incredible athlete and he likely will never be a top starter in the league, but in time he should become a dependable outside presence at cornerback.

Assuming he goes somewhere on day three, the Steelers could still land their developmental cornerback without having to invest a lot of draft capital in him. While his ceiling isn’t nearly as high as Booth’s is, there is a good chance Goodrich develops into a capable number two cornerback. For a team that may have to settle given their lack of draft capital, Goodrich could be a good consolation prize somewhere on day three.