Second in a daily series leading into the 2020 NFL Draft, April 23-25:
The Steelers have completely changed their philosophy at the cornerback position in the past four or five years.
When former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was looking for cornerbacks, he wanted big, physical corners who were good playing zone and excellent getting ball carriers on the ground in the open field.
Those traits are still important, but the Steelers want their corners now to be better with the ball in the air. And be capable of playing man-to-man or zone.
With the addition of Steven Nelson in free agency to start opposite Joe Haden last season, the Steelers finally completed the makeover of their secondary. They formed one of the top starting cornerback tandems in the NFL in 2019, combining for six interceptions and 25 pass defenses.
That allowed them to blitz less and and play coverage on the back end, trusting their corners to hold up while the front got home.
But the adjustment hasn't been without failures. The team selected Artie Burns in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft based on his ability to play the ball, only to find he couldn't handle the adjustments from playing man on one play and zone the next.
He was replaced by journeyman Coty Sensabaugh in the starting lineup two years ago and Nelson last year. Now, he's in Chicago after signing a one-year contract with the Bears in free agency.
The Steelers still have solid depth behind Haden and Nelson, however, with nickel corner Mike Hilton, valuable backup Cam Sutton and 2019 third-round draft pick Justin Layne all back for 2020.
But 2021 is more of a question mark. The contracts of Hilton and Sutton all will be up at the end of the 2020 season, perhaps making bringing in another cornerback -- particularly a slot corner -- this year a priority in the NFL Draft, which will be held April 23-25. With Burns having moved on, they also have an open spot on their roster for another corner.
The Steelers don't have a first-round draft pick after sending that to the Dolphins as part of the package to acquire safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
But the corner position in this year's draft is a solid one, led by likely top-10 pick Jeff Okudah of Ohio State.
At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Okudah has classic cornerback size. He also has classic cornerback skills, with the capability to play man, zone, blitz, or anything that is asked of him. It's a big reason he isn't expected to last long in the first round.
A number of receivers at this year's NFL Scouting Combine said Okudah was the best corner they faced in college the past few years.
"I think it's big because it kind of goes to show the challenge that I presented to them," Ohudah said. "I know a lot of guys who might get a guy that's a kind of raved about a lot and then when you play him you're like, he wasn't as good as I thought he was. So for those guys to come out there once after the season's over and be like, that guy, I know I had to bring my A game against him, I think that's big."
However, Okudah is hardly the only corner who could go in the first round. In fact, there could be as many as four selected on the opening day of the draft, with Florida's C.J. Henderson, TCU's Jeff Gladney and Alabama's Trevon Diggs, the younger brother of star receiver Stephon Diggs, all getting first-round consideration.
The second day of the draft could see a run on corners at some point, with as many as 10 to 12 being selected in rounds two and three.
One of the more interesting players in that group is Louisiana Tech's Amik Robertson. At 5-foot-8, 187 pounds, Robertson is slightly undersized, something that might force him to be a slot corner in the NFL.
But don't be fooled. Robertson played on the outside in college and did quite well, showing the toughness and ability to match up against bigger receivers.
His elite ball skills -- 14 interceptions and 48 passes defensed in just three seasons, including 5 and 21 in 2019 -- make him especially intriguing. And he's not afraid to make plays in the running game, either, as his 23 career tackles behind the line of scrimmage would suggest.
In fact, this draft is loaded with potential nickel corners, something that could interest the Steelers greatly with both Hilton and Sutton going into their final contract years.
If Robertson is gone before their pick in the third round -- No. 102 -- they could look to grab one later from a group of Penn State's John Reid, Javarious Davis of Auburn or Grayland Arnold of Baylor.
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