6 unlikely players I want the Pittsburgh Steelers to take in the 2023 NFL Draft

5. Kyu Blue Kelly, CB, Stanford

A name I gravitated to early because of his natural connections to the Steelers, but the team hasn’t seemed as interested. Kyu Blue Kelly is the son of former NFL cornerback Brian Kelly, who had a long career in the league and notably was coached by Mike Tomlin for a spell. This is the type of prospect Pittsburgh normally adores, but his lack of premium tape and being a Western prospect seemingly kept the team away.

Kelly lacks the elite frame or athleticism that the top names in this class have, and his production was fine but not to the level that some of his counterparts produced while in school. That said, he is an accomplished man coverage cornerback, and while his speed isn’t off the chart, he tested well enough and plays faster than his tested number projects.

Kelly doesn’t have the potential of a lock-down cornerback, but if given the time I think he could be a more than capable second option. A deep cornerback class will likely push him into day three, but the Steelers lull in selections from the fourth to seventh round will likely mean he goes elsewhere.

He isn’t pro-ready enough to warrant being the top cornerback for this team’s draft class. Likewise, double dipping with him as the second cornerback in the fourth round seems rich. I like Kelly a lot, and I think he would fit what this defense wants to do, but all of the indicators are working against him and I doubt he ends up with the Steelers.