Steelers rumors: Pittsburgh could reach on another Miami cornerback in round 1

At this point, we have a very good idea of the players the Pittsburgh Steelers could be targeting with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Paris Johnson Jr. and Broderick Jones each check a ton of boxes the team looks for, but Joey Porter Jr. may still be the most likely selection of the players left on the board. There are reports that the team is even interested in a player like Lukas Van Ness (which makes sense based on players they have targeted in the past).

However, a report surfaced on April 14th that should have Steelers fans a bit nervous. NFL Insider Aaron Wilson listed some teams that cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was meeting with. However, he noted that Stevenson is a name on the rise and that he's regarded as a viable option for Pittsburgh in the first round.

This is a strong cornerback class, but taking Tyrique Stevenson this early would feel like a sucker punch. When you turn on the tape, it's hard not to be reminded of former first-round cornerback out of Miami, Artie Burns.

Steelers cannot reach for Tyrique Stevenson at pick 17

Stevenson is better than Burns as a prospect, but the comparisons are not hard to draw. Both players have a similar size, length, and athletic profile. They have good straight-line speed but don't exactly possess loose hips to change directions effortlessly.

This selection would sting for a number of reasons. In a deep CB class, Stevenson probably shouldn't be drafted until the middle of day two. I currently have a 2-3 round grade on him, and I'm confident that there will be several CB options I like better at pick 32, maybe even pick 49.

I'm certainly not the lowest on Stevenson either. Recently, Pro Football Focus lead analyst Sam Monson released his rankings of the top 20 cornerbacks in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. He had Stevenson ranked 20th in a tier labeled 'depth.'

This could be all buzz and no traction here, but the statement that the Steelers could take Stevenson in round one at least deserves some attention. Yes, Pittsburgh has shown some interest in the Miami cornerback as he earned a pre-draft visit with the team, but they have no reason to even entertain this idea at pick season. Consider Stevenson as a player who will be on their radar on day two (where he belongs).