With the Steelers now fully focused on the upcoming draft, here is a look at the top 25 defensive options for the team to choose from this year.
With the draft getting ever closer, the Steelers are likely finalizing their draft board. While the draft is far from a science, Pittsburgh has a long track record of consistent things to look for when they select someone. Using the criteria the team normally cares about, I have compiled a 25-player board of defensive players that are realistic selections for the team in 2022.
What does this Steelers study look like?
The basics of this study are simple. Eight criteria were used which included: Senior Bowl and Combine visits, scouts/coaches at the pro day, pro day dinners, and actual team visits. That left me with an initial list of 49 defensive targets that met at least one of those criteria.
From there, likely first-round picks that neither Tomlin nor Colbert were present for at their pro day were taken off the list due to the track record of one of the two needing to be there for the Steelers to select someone in the first. While I hesitated with including names of players that many won’t expect to be there at pick 20, I left them on if they met the criteria as more than likely they would be easy selections if they fell to the team’s pick/
Finally, a player either had to have met three of the necessary criteria outlined above or had a “notable two” criteria reached. This would mean that the Steelers had a coach at their pro day along with something else, meaning there is a slightly better chance that the team targets them. With all of that said, here are the 25 likely defensive targets for the Steelers in the 2022 draft.
Steelers defensive prospect #25
A name that gained some acclaim from the senior bowl, Joshua Williams is a small school prospect with plenty of positive traits that should be built upon at the next level. He comes from a relatively unknown school that has yet to produce any significant NFL talent, but Williams looks the part of a potential starting cornerback.
Williams has prototypical size and good athleticism to play along the outside as a cornerback. He excelled there in college and more than held his own there during the pre-draft process. He has flashed some fluid hips to turn and run as well as showing the ability to play both zone and man coverage. He has competition questions, but in time there is good reason to believe he could become a starter in the pros.
The Steelers have been relatively clear with their interest in him as a prospect. They met with him at the combine and Kevin Colbert was present for the NC State pro day, where Williams worked out at. Despite only scoring a two in all of the criteria, both checkmarks are significant. Look for him to go in the round three to four range and for Pittsburgh to be squarely in that conversation as they look for a developmental quarterback.
Steelers defensive prospect #24
A name that got some recognition because of the Steelers bringing him in for a pre-draft visit, Joey Blount is built in the mold of a typical Steelers strong safety. While a little bit on the lighter side of things, Blount has good height, is a crazy athlete, and can play anywhere from deep, to the box, and even a little bit in the slot.
With strong safety being such an obvious need right now, targeting a developmental safety may not make the most sense. Unless they sign someone, they will need whomever they draft to start right away. Blount isn’t there yet, and he will need at least a season to sharpen his current traits before you could ever consider him as a starter.
That said, if the team had a starter in place before selecting Blount, the move would make a lot of sense. He will likely get drafted somewhere on day three, meaning the initial investment wouldn’t be that significant. In return, the team would land a capable developmental safety to work on developing. The team clearly likes him, so don’t be surprised to see him as a fallback option if they can’t land a day one starter in the earlier rounds.
Steelers defensive prospect #23
By technicality, Ahmad Gardner makes this list due to Mike Tomlin and Colbert attending his pro day and because he should be a first-round pick. However, Gardner easily falls into the “not likely to fall this far” camp, as many have him as their top cornerback in this draft and a likely top-10 pick. That said, if he somehow fell to pick 20, one would have to imagine the Steelers would be running to select him.
There are so many positives in Gardner’s game that it makes sense he is so coveted in this draft class. He has the prototypical size of a modern corner, excels in man coverage, and can hold his own in zone coverage as well. He was one of the most dominant cornerbacks in college since starting at Cincinnati, and he is likely to take that talent to the pro level.
If the Steelers somehow lucked into landing Gardner in the draft, they would be fools not to select him. This defense is lacking a true star cornerback. While having a platoon of capable players can work, having that lock-down star would make this secondary all the more potent. Gardner would provide that, but the odds of him falling to pick 20 keep him low on this list.
Steelers defensive prospect #22
From one of the top defensive prospects in the draft to a slew of late-round and undrafted options, a name that the Steelers also brought in for a visit was Notre Dame defensive tackle Kurt Hinish. Relatively undersized and not overly productive at school, Hinish projects as a late-round or undrafted target for the team.
He looks like a slightly undersized nose tackle who tested well as an athlete. Unfortunately, those traits never really showed up that much while he was in school. He was never a liability by any means, but he wasn’t any sort of a dominant force on the Fighting Irish’s line either. He has the chance to develop into a bottom of the roster depth piece and that is about it.
That said, the team has connected with him three times through this pre-draft process. Colbert was on hand for Notre Dame’s pro day and the team brought him in for a local pre-draft visit. There is some interest there, and assuming he doesn’t get over-drafted, he could be on the teams’ radar. Perhaps one of the two seventh-round picks could be used here. If not, expect the Steelers to try and bring Hinish in as an undrafted free agent.
Steelers defensive prospect #21
A name that really doesn’t inspire a lot of defensive help but should be a good special teams player, James Skalski is an undersized and unathletic linebacker that really doesn’t have a home in an NFL defense. Despite being an extremely smart player, he lacks the physical traits to ever be more than a backup.
Skalski was a quality contributor for the Clemson defense over the past few years which has given him a national stage to show off his skills. He is a fine tackler and can read an offense well enough, but he is short, underweight, and slow which really inhibits him. His smarts should lead to him being a decent special teams linebacker, but it’s hard to imagine him being much more than that.
The Steelers have shown to be willing to draft these types of linebackers late. One just has to think back to Tyler Matakevich as proof of this, as the seventh-round pick was brought in just to play special teams. That said, Skalski is even more limited than Matakavich was. He could go in the seventh round, but odds are he is an undrafted name in this year’s class.
Steelers defensive prospect #20
Another limited defensive prospect with special teams ability, Nolan Turner is yet another Clemson defender to make this list. Despite being an average defender in school, he tested good enough as an athlete to potentially carve out a niche backup role for a defense. As well, he should be a solid special teams player due to his knowledge of the game.
Turner has more defensive ability than Skalski does due to his prototypical size and decent athleticism. That said, his initial role with a team will be centered on special teams. As well, given his lack of coverage skills, Turner could play a hybrid safety/linebacker role long term for a defense in a reserve role.
While a better prospect than Skalski, the role of either of these names if drafted would essentially be the same. They would be brought in for their ability on special teams first. Any defensive contribution would be a bonus. Turner has some athleticism to build off of, but he will be a late-round pick at best due to his potential ability on special teams.
Steelers defensive prospect #19
Rounding out the late-round defenders that the Steelers have brought in for pre-draft visits, Mark Robinson is essentially a slightly more athletic version of Skalski from just a few spots before. That said, he would still classify as an undersized and unathletic defender at the pro level. If he were to be taken, it would be a seventh-round pick this year.
Robinson was a productive member of the Ole Miss defense, but his limitations will hold him back at the next level. He would be a special team-only type of player in a pro-defense, and that kind of limitation makes it hard to justify drafting him. That said, if the team saw enough of him in the pre-draft process, they could use one of their last picks to add him.
The only reason these past few names made this list is because of the players around them attracting the Steelers to their pro day with some of their top coaches and scouts. Add in the pre-draft visits and suddenly each of these names scored a three on my criteria. Don’t be surprised to see one of these names land with the team either late in the draft or as an undrafted free agent.
Steelers defensive prospect #18
A name that has had one of the toughest pre-draft seasons so far, Derion Kendrick went from a safe day two pick with the potential to be a late first-round option now to a day three option. The reason for this? He weighed in smaller than expected and had some of the worst athletic testing of anyone in this class.
Kendrick does have some decent tape at Georgia that makes him stand out. He is aggressive in press-man scenarios and has done well when facing some of the top college receivers in the NCAA. That said, his testing numbers make him a risky pro prospect, as few cornerbacks can survive on the outside with athleticism as bad as his.
What would make the most sense is giving him a redshirt year as a rookie and try moving him to the slot. In the slot, Kendrick wouldn’t need to rely on his speed as much and his physicality could be used in a more effective manner. He hasn’t really played there before though, so he would need time to develop there. That said, if the team wants to work on developing a prospect, Kendrick makes some sense.
Steelers defensive prospect #17
I didn’t expect the Steelers to draft a player like Isaiahh Loudermilk last season. While he profiled as a typical end for the team, I didn’t believe the team would allocate resources to a developmental run-stopping end. His pick was surprising, and a name that could be equally surprising is Texas A&M’s Jayden Peevy.
Peevy was an inconsistent lineman while with the Aggies. In some games, he would flash quickness and good pass-rushing ability while in others he would be virtually nonexistent. Those types of inconsistencies will likely follow him to the next level, but if he is put into a good defensive line room, he could become a developmental rotational defender.
Why he makes this list is due to his size. He is built ideally to play defensive end for the Steelers, as he has great size and length as a prospect. Add in defensive line coach Karl Dunbar being present at Texas A&M for their pro day and you could see where the interest would be. He would be nothing more than a late-round pick right now, but he fits what this team wants in a defensive end prospect.
Steelers defensive prospect #16
A name that a lot of people have clamored for at inside linebacker, Christian Harris certainly looks the part of a modern defender. While a little bit smaller as a prospect, he has elite athleticism and sideline to sideline speed to boot. He also comes from a notable linebacker program, as Alabama is one of the better producers of NFL defenders.
While his speed is his best trait, he also is an above-average coverage linebacker. His speed allows him to match up well with athletic offensive weapons and as a result, hang with them in coverage. He is also a sound tackler as well as a blitzer. He knows how to use his athleticism to shoot through gaps and chase runners down.
The issue with him is his instincts when reading an offense. He is very much a reactive defender and not a preemptive one. Devin Bush has the same issue right now, as he is trying to catch up to a play as opposed to predicting it. This results in being out of position and being forced to try and get back into position. Because of this, and the fact that the Steelers already have two linebackers like this on the roster, Harris can’t be ranked that high despite some pre-draft interest.
Steelers defensive prospect #15
A name that has seen his stock tumble similar to Kendrick from before, Myjai Sanders is an intriguing edge prospect from Cincinnati’s potent defense. He was seen as a relatively safe day two pick before the draft season began, but average testing mixed in with a shockingly low weight caused him to drop into a potential day three pick.
To the Steelers credit, playing him standing up can limit some of his weight issues. That being said, rumors had it that Sanders was extremely sick heading into the combine so his weight and below-average testing times could be attributed to that. With his stock now lower, it could make him a realistic depth option for this defense.
Add in the heavy amount of scouting done at the Bearcats pro day as well as the fact that the team took him out to dinner at his pro day and the links between the two are clear. The Steelers need some help at edge depth, and Sanders would be a good fit for this defense. He would likely have to make it to the fourth round, but he should be a potential option for this defense in the draft.
Steelers defensive prospect #14
An earlier defensive prospect on this list was a projection with some upside as a potential long-term defensive lineman depth piece. Neil Farrell is the opposite, as he is a prototypical nose tackle with little hope of being anything much more than a reserve or rotational piece. He is a stout run defender, but he lacks in just about every other aspect of his game.
Where Farrell makes his money is in the run game. He uses his thicker lower half to generate power up the middle and take up space. He is a throwback to the classic nose tackles of old, where he does very little stat-wise but can open up lanes for other defenders to make a play. Unfortunately, he doesn’t do much else, as he is extremely limited as a pass rusher.
Add in his athletic testing, which was one of the worst for a defensive lineman in the class, and you have a rotational two-down run stopper here. For the Steelers, adding a player like that late actually makes some sense. You can develop him into a situational starter to take on a role once Tyson Alualu retires. There are links between the two sides, but his limitations will keep him down as a later-round pick.
Steelers defensive prospect #13
A name that makes a lot of sense in the mid-rounds is Cincinnati linebacker, Darrian Beavers. He struggled early in his career as defenses didn’t know what to do with him, but he came on later as a linebacker with decent athleticism. He has some safety and defensive line experience as well, making him a versatile defender for any team that drafts him.
Where Beavers excels is using his size to shoot through gaps and make plays close to the line of scrimmage. As well, he is an above-average coverage option in zone coverage even though he struggles when tasked with covering someone man to man. Some will point out his slower than average forty time, but his overall agility and athleticism testing numbers are great.
Where the fit really makes sense is what Brian Flores likes in a linebacker. He specializes in using those oversized inside guys to make plays and shoot gaps. Beavers would be a great fit in this defense because of this and the fact that the linebacker room is lacking a player like that. Beavers would be a third or fourth-round developmental play that Flores has a proven track record with. Add in the Steelers heavy scouting of Cincinnati defenders and there is good reason to link these two.
Steelers defensive prospect #12
A name that has heated up as a potential first-round pick if the Steelers don’t go quarterback, Daxton Hill is an athletic freak that excels in coverage. He enjoyed three productive years at Michigan and now is set to be a first-round pick in this draft. The Steelers had both Tomlin and Colbert at his pro day, which means Hill is very much in the conversation for pick 20.
Add in the combine interview and Hill is a player squarely on the Steelers radar. His versatility is his calling card, as he can play deep, in the box, and even in the slot. His coverage skills are his best trait, as he can match up in man coverage or use his twitchy athleticism in zone defense. He has the makings of a versatile chess piece in the secondary because of this.
The reason I hesitate to put him any higher on this list is his size. While fine for a free safety or a cornerback, the team usually likes their strong safeties to be bigger. Hill’s frame isn’t that, thus leading to some questions about his ability to play in the box. That said, with defenses becoming smaller overall, Hill should be able to play in the Steelers scheme.
Steelers defensive prospect #11
A name the Steelers likely wouldn’t get the most out of if they drafted him, Marcus Jones is an undersized slot cornerback with great speed and the ability to return kicks and punts. While his defensive talent is appealing, his return talent is just as intriguing. He was electric in that regard, and many teams will value him purely as a return man.
The Steelers have a long history of not using defenders to return kicks though, which actually limits a huge area that Jones excels at. Looking beyond his return ability, Jones actually plays pretty well in the slot. His lack of size is apparent against bigger targets, but he is scrappy when fighting for the ball. He never makes it easy on a receiver.
While the team may be intent on using Cameron Sutton and Tre Norwood in the slot, Jones could be a more traditional fit there. His style of play is reminiscent of Mike Hilton, as he plays far more aggressively and bigger than his size would make him appear. He has the traits you want in a slot cornerback, and the interest in him, including a pre-draft visit, could make him an option in the third round.
Steelers defensive prospect #10
The last of the threes on this list, Kyle Hamilton at one point in time seemed like a dream to become a Steelers pick. He was regularly seen as a top-five draft pick by most with the ability to become an elite safety in the league. Poor testing numbers and the general devaluation of safeties have caused his stock to fall though, and he appears to be on the team’s radar.
With Colbert attending his pro day as well as the team inviting him in for a pre-draft visit shows that the Steelers are at least intrigued. Perhaps they believe there is a chance he tumbles all the way to pick 20, or maybe they are even willing to move up for him if he falls far enough. That would make sense, as he is an absolute force as a safety despite the slower forty time.
He excels in zone coverage, can eliminate tight ends, and can play in the box and blitz. He is the perfect mold of a modern strong safety in today’s game. The question shouldn’t be would the Steelers take him, it’s will he even fall that far. If he gets within close distance of pick 20, don’t be surprised to see the Steelers act on their desire for Hamilton.
Steelers defensive prospect #9
Moving into the fours now, these players hit half of the criteria on this list. The least likely of this group seems to be Nakobe Dean out of Georgia. While an insanely productive linebacker from a good defense, Dean does lack some traits that will make him sought after by this team. Mainly, he lacks the size and instincts to be a great fit for what this team needs.
Dean is a good athlete who plays with a lot of physicality. He can attack gaps well and wraps up when tackling. Despite being a good athlete, he isn’t always the best in coverage. He will need to sharpen up his man coverage skills if he ever wants to excel as a three-down linebacker. His size is on the smaller end, but we have seen smaller linebackers work in a modern defense.
The issue I have with him is twofold. For starters, he would likely have to be taken with pick 20, as it is doubtful that he falls to the second round. His play suffers from a lot of the issues Harris’s play from Alabama has. He is a reactive linebacker, and he struggles with predicting what an offense will do. I see it as unlikely that he is the pick, but there are reasons to trace him back to the team.
Steelers defensive prospect #8
Sometimes there are cornerback prospects that aren’t flashy and thus don’t get the name recognition they deserve. They are great starters who excel for their teams, but their lack of huge interceptions or a loud personality makes them almost forgotten about in the league. That seems to be the case with Andrew Booth in the draft.
Despite being one of the most consistent coverage corners in the game over the past few seasons, he lacks the dominance of Gardner or the potential of Derek Stingley. That all said, there are few flaws in Booth’s game right now. He is dominant as a press and man coverage cornerback. His zone defense is a little weaker, but it is nothing to be worried about. In terms of coverage, he has all of the makings of a quality starter in the league.
Projections seem to range with Booth regularly. Some see him as a lock to be a top-10 pick and others have him as their third or fourth-best cornerback in this draft. No matter where you rank him, Booth can play and should be an instant starter for the team that drafts him. If he makes it to pick 20 after all of the attention Clemson got from the Steelers, don’t be surprised to see him join this team.
Steelers defensive prospect #7
Lewis Cine is an intriguing fit for the Steelers at safety, as he is coming from the Georgia defensive pipeline. As already stated in full, the team was all over Georgia, as they sent all of their top names to watch these prospects run drills. Cine was another name in this talented defense that could slot in for this defense if needed.
Cine excels in coverage in both man and zone in the short and intermediate part of the field. The deeper he plays, the worse off he is. As well, he isn’t an amazing box safety either, as his physicality isn’t always where it needs to be. He has limitations as both a free and strong safety, which makes him a developmental prospect, to say the least.
Why he can’t be ranked any higher than this is because of his mixed rankings from the draft community. Some people have him ranked in the late first-round while other notable names like Gil Brandt has him in the third round. A first-round pick may be too steep for him, but landing him in the second or third round makes him a much more realistic prospect.
Steelers defensive prospect #6
A name I am quickly warming up to, Bryan Cook has quietly become a decent option for the Steelers defense. In need of a strong safety that can start sooner than later, Cook has progressively developed into a capable starter for Cincinnati. Now, despite the fact that he isn’t a first-round pick, Cook could become a real force in this secondary.
Cook excels the closer he is to the line of scrimmage. He can play well in the box and wraps up on tackles well. Coverage was, at one point, his biggest liability, but he has made some serious strides there in recent years. That said, early on he will need to work on his man-to-man coverage skills if he wants to become a regular starter.
With the Steelers all over the Cincinnati pro day, Cook is likely high on their radar. He fits the mold of what the team wants in a strong safety. Add in their interest in him at the pro day and Cook could be a fine second-day pick. If the team misses out on a safety in the top two rounds, Cook should be a primary target in the third round of the 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.
Steelers defensive prospect #4
A name that has gained a lot of buzz as of late is Georgia linebacker Quay Walker. Despite only starting for one season, Walker has flashed some elite traits and skills that could make him a good starting linebacker in the league. He is an uber-athlete and possesses good instincts to make plays all over the field.
Walker was a dependable linebacker for the Bulldogs last season. His speed was evident in his coverage game while his size and sound tackling made him a force against the run. While he is a very well-rounded prospect, he lacks the splash you may want out of the position. Walker will likely never be a huge turnover machine, but he can be a dependable starter once he develops completely.
Considering he played at Georgia, he has naturally seen a bunch of Steelers attention as they were all over that pro day. Add in the fact that the team is having him in for a pre-draft visit and the interest between the team seems clear. Walker would likely cost the team their second-round pick, which may be a little steep. That said, he would be a good fit in this defense and has the chance to develop into a really sound starter.
Steelers defensive prospect #3
Take everything I said about Goodrich just a few players ago and add it to Coby Bryant here. The difference between the two is that Bryant has a better frame and is far more battle-tested. While he lacks the elite upside that his partner Gardner has, there is little reason to believe that Bryant won’t be a serviceable starter within two years from now.
He isn’t lacking in any major area as a corner. He is sound in man coverage, has the athleticism to work on zone, and is physical enough in press. His biggest fault is his run defense, which is average, but that could be improved upon at the next level. Bryant is an experienced option as well since Gardner naturally caused teams to throw the ball more his way than not.
While his athleticism will likely prevent him from ever being a top cornerback in the league, Bryant seems to be a safe bet to develop into a capable second or third option for a team. The team was all over Cincinnati’s pro day and met with Bryant for a dinner. Considering he is likely going to go in the third or fourth round, the Steelers can address their top needs early and land Bryant in the middle of the draft to develop.
Steelers defensive prospect #2
The top two names both happen to be Georgia defensive linemen, although one seems like a more natural fit than the other on paper. The second-best fitting prospect based on the outlined criteria is Devonte Wyatt. A fun defensive lineman to watch, Wyatt plays with a lot of physicality and was a force on an already talented Bulldogs defensive line.
Wyatt is a good technician as a lineman, using a combination of pass rush moves and good hand placement to beat opposing offensive linemen. He was consistently beating some of the top names in college football on a weekly basis. His 2021 tape showed a lot of development in his game as well, and he is very much a complete defensive line prospect.
The issue I have with him is his fit on the Steelers defense. His size makes him seem like a nose tackle, but he lacks the functional strength to excel there. He is far too small to play either end spot as well. While his talent would likely make him still productive in this system, he would truly benefit from playing in a 4-3 front more. Even with base defenses more skewed than usual, Wyatt would get the most out of playing in a different system. Add in his first-round billing and it seems unlikely that he is the pick despite checking so many boxes.
Steelers defensive prospect #1
A name that needs little introduction, Jordan Davis has been on the minds of many fans ever since he dominated the combine. While his tape already made him a likely first-round pick, he tested like an absolute freak of nature. A man his size moving the way he does with the tape he has from a top school is a recipe for a good NFL player.
The calling card for Davis is his ability to stop the run. He uses his size, strength, and athleticism to plug holes and fill gaps. Even when he doesn’t get to the runner to make the stop, his presence usually allows someone else to make the play. As a pass rusher, he struggles to make an impact outside of using his power to collapse the pocket. He will need to become a far more efficient pass rusher if he ever wants to be a top name in football.
The interest between Davis and the Steelers seems legitimate. Beyond just the Georgia connection, the team met with him at the Combine and had a pro-day dinner with him. While Tomlin said he doesn’t expect Davis to be available, given his limitations as a pass rusher, there is a chance he falls. One has to imagine the Steelers would be running to select him if given the opportunity.
The Steelers are a team of habit and based on their previous drafts, some trends can be recognized. In particular, the eight categories outlined in this study are strong indicators of who the team tries to draft. Keep these 25 names in mind as the draft rolls around.