Steelers news: Pittsburgh visits with top CB prospects, team report card, and more
By Tommy Jaggi
Shortly after meeting with many of the top defensive linemen and linebackers at the 2023 NFL Combine, the Pittsburgh Steelers repeated the process on Thursday in Indianapolis. By the end of the week, this team will have met with dozens of high-profile players, and one of them will ultimately be their top selection when they are on the clock in April.
The NFL Combine is the first major event of the offseason, and Pittsburgh's scouting department is getting their notepads ready for weigh-ins and drills. Here's the latest Steelers news.
Steelers news
It's no secret that cornerback is one of the biggest needs on the team. In fact, if Pittsburgh isn't able to retain Cameron Sutton in free agency this offseason, no position becomes more important to the Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft.
On Thursday, multiple Steelers media members on hand at Lucas Oil Stadium reported that Pittsburgh has met with virtually every top CB prospect in this year's class.
Mike Tomlin is winning the combine. Superstar CB Christian Gonzalez is yet another DB to say his favorite coach to talk to here has been the #Steelers head man. He called Tomlin “real” and “relatable” - and said he called his dad to say he’s even cooler than they thought.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) March 2, 2023
Joey Porter Jr. on potentially being selected by the Steelers:
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 2, 2023
“I think it would mean a lot to my family. Been in the Pittsburgh area a while, staying home would mean a lot.” pic.twitter.com/EEczQWeNoL
While there are several strong cornerback candidates who deserve to be taken with the 17th overall selection, most Pittsburgh Steelers fans are particularly interested in Joey Porter Jr. (the son of the former Steelers Pro Bowl outside linebacker. It's possible that Porter could be off the board before Pittsburgh is on the clock this April.
More Steelers news
Recently, 1,300 NFL players provided information about their respective team's facilities. The NFLPA used this information to create NFL player team report cards. The categories that were graded included treatment of families, nutrition, weight room, strength staff, training room, training staff, and locker room.
Pittsburgh earned its highest marks (B+) in nutrition and training staff. But players gave a concerning report when it came to the treatment of families and training staff -- earning scores of D- in these departments.
NFL news
NFL Combine weigh-ins and drills officially kicked off yesterday with defensive linemen and linebackers taking the field in spandex. Today, defensive backs and special teams will do their athletic testing at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. You can follow along with the full Combine schedule here.