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2019 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers first round options

By Jacob Schyvinck

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Deandre Baker #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates a play during the second quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Deandre Baker #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates a play during the second quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBIA, SC – OCTOBER 9: Defensive back Deandre Baker #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Tyler Simmons #3 of the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Georgia Bulldogs on October 9, 2016 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Todd Bennett/GettyImages)
COLUMBIA, SC – OCTOBER 9: Defensive back Deandre Baker #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Tyler Simmons #3 of the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Georgia Bulldogs on October 9, 2016 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Todd Bennett/GettyImages) /

Cornerback

This seems like the most plausible pick for the Steelers in the first round, as the evident lack of talent and depth at the cornerback position shows. With an aging Joe Haden and free agent signee Steven Nelson leading the way, help needs to arrive.

The main three corners to consider for the Steelers in round one have to be Greedy Williams, Deandre Baker, and Byron Murphy.

Let’s start with Williams. At just under 6’2″ and 185 pounds, Williams fits the threshold of what teams are looking for nowadays. Williams is great up at the line of scrimmage where he can get in your face and get receivers off of their routes early on.

He fits perfectly in a scheme that presses. Greedy also is good at changing direction and recovering when it comes to coverage in the short and intermediate area. The one real knock on him is his ability to stick with receivers down the field with long speed, so he fits nicely in the zone scheme Pittsburgh runs.

Deandre Baker is another one to consider at the 20th overall selection. Baker had the lowest passer rating allowed in the SEC in 2018 and walked away with the Jim Thorpe award as well. Like Williams, Baker is another corner who gets up near the line of scrimmage and goes to work.

He’s physical from the get go, and has good ball skills as well. Baker also lacks that downfield speed, but his 4.52 40 at the combine should be noteworthy enough to dispel some concern.

The last of the three, but perhaps the most talented, is Byron Murphy. Murphy is arguably the best cover corner in the draft. He changes direction with ease, mirrors receivers very well, and isn’t afraid to come up and hit.

His four interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 2018 show his good ball skills. The big knock on Murphy is his size, but that shouldn’t drive teams away, as both Denzel Ward and Jaire Alexander showed in 2018. Murphy would be an excellent first round selection for Pittsburgh.

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