Steelers mock draft round 2: Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri
Everyone seems to be mocking a cornerback to the Pittsburgh Steelers and understandably so. There's a great chance that Omar Khan and Andy Weidl could dip into a strong CB class early with how bad the overall performance has been from the cornerback position in 2023. But if they do decide to wait until Day 2 of the draft, Kris Abrams-Draine could be a quality option to pursue.
Abrams-Draine spent four years at Missouri where he started in each of the past three seasons. The talented cornerback has excellent ball skills and is constantly getting his hands on the football. Listed at 5'11'' and 179 pounds, Abrams-Draine is a lean CB prospect, but he has explosive athletic traits and twitchiness to go with chippy competitiveness.
Abrams-Draine has ample experience from the slot, and we know that the Steelers could use a slot CB just as badly as they need an outside cornerback to pair with Joey Porter Jr. long-term. The combination of Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan in the slot has been disastrous, and there's a good chance that neither of these cornerbacks will be with the team in 2024.
The Steelers could look to fill the nickel CB position with a talented and versatile prospect like Abrams-Draine. The former wide receiver concert should have his best football ahead of him and could really give Pittsburgh's secondary a spark from Day 1.