5 teams that could alter Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 draft plans

Patriots could snatch a CB before the Steelers pick

Face it, Patrick Peterson, while talented, is no long-term solution for the Steelers, and they need to consider taking one if not at 17, then at 32. So if they choose to take one, they will have several options, despite everyone's opinions on which prospect is better. Some people like Deonte Banks, others Joey Porter Jr., Kelee Ringo, Devon Witherspoon, or perhaps Christian Gonzalez.

The particular favorite corner many mock drafts have the Steelers taking is Joey Porter Jr. The primary reason is there is probably less than a 15% chance he goes off the draft board before selection 14. Whether the Steelers are highly considering him, well, perhaps that’s debatable. But if the Steelers are targeting Porter, who could upend their plans at drafting him? The first threat could be the Patriots at 14.

The Patriots could heavily influence the Steelers draft decisions as they have identical team needs to the Steelers. They need a cornerback and an offensive tackle. Hence whichever position they target could have a major impact on the Steelers. Right now, there is a 21% chance the Patriots will target Porter. However, if the Patriots pass on Porter, there is a 21% possibility the Commanders will take him at pick 16.

Another possibility is Devon Witherspoon. However, unlike Porter, who has the potential to be on the board when the Steelers select, many mock drafts have teams drafting Witherspoon  87 % of the time before selection 17. However, that said, the Patriots have a 16% chance of selecting him, and again the Commanders have approximately a 15.17% chance of taking Witherspoon. Take the Commanders and Patriots out of the equation, then Witherspoon only has a 46% chance of going off the board in the first round entirely.   

If the Steelers wanted Christian Gonzalez, there is an 87% chance he’s gone before the 10th pick; thus, he is only an option if the Steelers want to trade up, which seems an unlikely prospect. So what are the Steelers options for a cornerback?