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Remember Kelly Jennings or Atuan Edwards? Didn't think so

Ray Fittipaldo 8 years ago

Trying to predict a team’s draft is an almost impossible endeavor. As much as outsiders think they know about a team and its tendencies they can never truly know how a front office operates. It’s that way for a reason.

So when Art Rooney II comes out and says in January that the Steelers are going to “add some people [to the secondary] in the draft”, don’t assume the pick will come in the first round. Here is the story I wrote about the Steelers and their quest to find corners in this draft. 

Some stuff that didn’t make it into my story...

The Steelers won’t have a successful defense without a stronger pass rush which is why many believe an edge rusher could be the choice in Round 1 if the right one is available at No. 22.

“Evaluators have debated it for a long time; what’s more important, pass rush or coverage?” Brugler said. “You can’t cover NFL receivers for five or six seconds. You have to have a pass rush. The best cornerbacks in the league will get burned if there is no pass rush. That’s something the Steelers have been so good at for years is getting pressure from different areas. The Steelers have a tradition of being a pressure defense.”

Of course, the coverage must improve, too, which is why those same analysts believe the Steelers can take two corners in this draft, and both could come in the early or middle rounds.

Luckily for the Steelers this is a deep draft all around for cornerbacks and they can nab one in Round 2. They haven’t drafted a cornerback in the second round since Ricardo Coclough in 2004. Coclough, the No. 38 overall selection, started one game in a six-year NFL career, the final two coming in Kansas City.

Here is a list of all the cornerbacks taken since the Steelers last chose one in the first round in 1997. The picks are in order. Notice how the top 10 or 15 picks are the ones who turned out to be the best pros. That might be a reason the Steelers have shied away from taking corners when they’ve drafted later in the first round.

I follow football for a living and even I didn’t recognize the names of some of these first-round cornerbacks.

1998 – Charles Woodson (Raiders), Duane Starks (Ravens), Terry Fair (Lions), RW McQuarters (49ers).

1999 – Champ Bailey (Redskins), Chris McAlister (Ravens), Antoine Winfield (Bills), Antuan Edwards (Packers), Fernando Bryant (Jaguars).

2000 – Deltha O’Neal (Broncos), Ahmed Plummer (49ers).

2001 – Nate Clements (Bills), Will Allen (Giants), Jamar Fletcher (Dolphins).

2002 – Quentin Jammer (Chargers), Phillip Buchanon (Raiders), Lito Sheppard (Eagles).

2003 – Terence Newman (Cowboys), Marcus Trufant (Seahawks), Andre Woolfolk (Titans), Sammy Davis (Chargers), Nnamdi Asomuga (Raiders).

2004 – DeAngelo Hall (Falcons), Dunta Robinson (Texans), Ahmad Carroll (Packers), Chris Gamble (Panthers).

2005 – Pacman Jones (Titans), Antrel Rolle (Cardinals), Carlos Rogers (Redskins), Fabian Washington (Raiders), Marlin Jackson (Colts).

2006 – Tye Hill (Rams), Antonio Cromartie (Chargers), Jonathan Joseph (Bengals), Kelly Jennings (Seahawks).

2007 – Darrelle Revis (Jets), Leon Hall (Bengals), Aaron Ross (Giants).

2008 – Leodis McKelvin (Bills), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Cardinals), Aquib Talib (Buccaneers), Mike Jenkins (Cowboys), Antoine Cason (Chargers).

2009 – Malcolm Jenkins (Saints), Vontae Davis (Dolphins).

2010 – Joe Haden (Browns), Kareem Jackson (Texans), Devin McCourty (Patriots). Kyle Wilson (Jets), Patrick Robinson (Saints).

2011 – Patrick Peterson (Cardinals), Prince Amukamara (Giants), Jimmy Smith (Ravens).

2012 – Morris Claiborne (Cowboys), Stephon Gilmore (Bills), Dre Kirkpatrick (Bengals).

2013 – Dee Milliner (Jets), DJ Hayden (Raiders), Desmond Trufant (Falcons), Xavier Rhodes (Vikings).

2014 – Justin Gilbert (Browns), Kyle Fuller (Bears), Darqueze Dennard (Bengals), Jason Verrett (Chargers), Bradley Roby (Broncos).