Day 2 proved to be a mad rush for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With four selections and a maximum of six minutes between picks, Omar Khan and company were forced to act fast. At pick No. 76 in the third round, the Steelers turned their card in for Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.
The Allar selection was all the buzz, as there was much controversy over the draft position of the polarizing quarterback. Lost in the shuffle was Pittsburgh's selection at No. 85: Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette.
Without any question, Everette looks the part. At 6'1 1/4'' and 196 pounds with roughly 32'' arms, Everette is a big, rocked-up CB coming from one of the best football programs in the nation. His presence on the Steelers bolsters the depth of a cornerback room that already includes Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, and Asante Samuel Jr.
This is an interesting prospect with one defining trait to love about his game, and one that should have fans terrified.
Daylen Everrette's polar traits make him a boom-or-bust Day 2 pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Let's start with the good: Everette is an incredible run defender. The big cornerback had just four missed tackles in 11 games last season, and missed just two tackles in the final eight games of his college career. He has the ability to disengage and shed wide receivers in front of him.
Though he doesn't always play up to his impressive 4.38 NFL Combine speed, Everette can be an enforcer at times when coming downhill to defend the run. This was evidenced by an outstanding 90.1 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus with the Bulldogs in 2025.
New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is going to love his physicality, and he shares a ton of similarities with Graham's former starting cornerback for the Las Vegas Raiders, Eric Stokes (who is, ironically, also a former Bulldog).
But there's one trait about that Everette's game that should have fans concerned.
While Everette is big and physical with respectable athletic traits, he just doesn't seem to have great instincts. This is a problem when you're playing a position like cornerback.
Everrette is routinely a half-second late to react to the play or to break on routes. This resulted in a dismal 52.2 man-coverage grade from PFF last season. When the assignment is easy, Everette looks great, but his reaction skills aren't where they need to be.
If this doesn't develop, Everette might be nothing more than a low-end starting boundary cornerback at his peak. However, assuming he can improve in this area with NFL coaching, he's got the skill set to be a respectable starter in the NFL.
With the No. 85 overall pick, we hope the third-round draft choice can be the latter. This was about the right range for the Pittsburgh Steelers to take a swing on a polarizing big-school cornerback with impressive size, physicality, and traits. Let's hope he can catch on quickly as a rookie.
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