5 defensive studs from the combine Steelers must be drooling over

Steelers will be all over Max Melton

I mentioned before that the Steelers are developing a type of player that they like for their cornerback room, with them being tall, long, and have the ability to play press coverage. Max Melton isn’t that, but his tape had to have intrigued the team. His athletic testing should just be the cherry on top.

While Melton lacks the height this team looks for in a boundary cornerback, that shouldn’t be the end of the world due to the fact he is destined to play in the slot. He is the prototypical physical run defender as a defensive back and he likes to hit. The caveat to that is his coverage skills which are hit and miss.

While Melton didn’t complete every test at the combine, he nailed the explosive numbers. His forty was one of the best in the class, and he had insane vertical and broad jump numbers. Add that in with his physical tape and you have a really good-looking slot cornerback on your hands.

Pittsburgh has needed a good physical slot cornerback since Mike Hilton left town. They have tried a few different middling options, but Melton could be the solution for this defense. On top of fitting the mold of an interior defensive back, he tested like a great athlete to cement himself as a legitimate option for this team in the draft.