Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh digs their heels in for a cornerback early

Steelers mock draft round 2 (via CHI): DL Gervon Dexter

The Pittsburgh Steelers clearly have a hole that must be filled on their defensive line. Since the early retirement of Stephon Tuitt, this team has yet to find a suitable counterpart to All-Pro Cameron Heyward. Meanwhile, Heyward turns 34 during the offseason, and the Steelers need to be preparing themselves for what comes next.

While many fans would prefer to see them address the offensive line with this pick, you could argue that their interior defensive line was among their worst positional groups in 2022. Outside of Heyward, there wasn’t another player who offered much, and Chris Wormley suffered a major injury late in the season.

The Steelers hope that something can become of DeMarvin Leal, but even if he turns out, he’s not stout enough to be a full-time player. On the other hand, Gervon Dexter from Florida is listed at 6’6” and 313 pounds, according to Pro Football Network. He has a very similar size profile as Tuitt did coming out of Notre Dame, and they win in some of the same ways.

Dexter could still add plenty of weight to his frame, but his length would be a huge asset and he can anchor well at the point of attack. Dexter recorded 125 tackles and 10.5 sacks in his three college seasons for the Florida Gators.