Steelers must keep eyes on these players at the 2023 Senior Bowl

Steelers must watch Devon Witherspoon, CB Illinois

Cornerback has been a position of discussion in Pittsburgh ever since Ike Taylor retired following the 2014 season. Pittsburgh has struggled to find a true shutdown corner since he hung up his cleats.

The bleeding was stopped some in 2017 when the Steelers were able to sign Joe Haden after the Browns cut him. Haden was 28 when he signed, however, and only provided a few seasons of stability before slowing down.

The team seems to have trouble hitting on draft picks and their development. The latest first-round attempt, Artie Burns, fell off a cliff after a promising rookie season and never recovered.

Devon Witherspoon’s frame is fairly average for an outside corner, but he doesn’t let that get in the way of his play. He put his great ball skills on display with 14 pass breakups and 3 interceptions in 2022.

Witherspoon provided the kind of shutdown ability a defense craves, basically eliminating an entire half of the football field. He is a very physical corner and is not afraid to lay the lumber as a tackler both after a catch or in the run game.

Pittsburgh could really use a shutdown corner to pair with a safety like Minkah Fitzpatrick. Witherspoon’s play in the Senior Bowl could grab Pittsburgh’s attention with their first-round pick.